Trilogy: Tragedy, Tribulation and Triumph
by Natasha Vloyski
Summary: Now complete! All of your favorite characters in a 7th year fic. Includes drama, intrigue, romanace and action. This story was plagiarized stolen from me at one time so I ask that you not copy, print out or forward it to anyone without my permission enjoy
1. Chapter 1

One An Unbreakable Vow

Harry opened the parchment in full view of Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna. Somehow they always managed to be in the same train compartment. This time the mood was somber and subdued. The day before, the funeral of Albus Dumbledore had taken place. There was a question as to whether any of them would ride the Hogwarts Express back to Hogwarts for the next term at the end of summer.

Just before climbing aboard the train Harry had seen the very portly and not very welcome figure of his potion's professor pushing his way through the throng of students that were hurrying to board before the train pulled out. There were many last goodbyes and tears and sad faces and then there was Slughorn pushing ahead with his bulk and nodding and smiling to each person that stepped aside for him. He was oblivious to the fact that his smiling face was out of place in the grieving crowd.

"Sorry, sorry," he chimed and continued to push. "In a hurry! I must catch someone before they leave!" he said with some urgency. He patted a few heads, shook a few hands, ever mindful that he wanted to leave a good impression to some of his chosen few. "Oh there you are!" He said loudly as he spotted Harry. He made his final dash and ended up almost bowling everyone over his in path.

Harry wasn't at all sure that Slughorn was headed for him and wanted to be on board and tucked into a compartment before Slughorn could lay eyes on him, but he was too late. Hagrid had just wandered away chatting with some of the departing students after having just said goodbye to him. Harry turned and bumped into the man thinking that he had made good his escape when he had his hand on the door and was stepping in.

"Sorry, Professor," he mumbled, not at all sorry and wishing people would stop gawking at him. They had been doing that since the night that Dumbledore had died. He thought he'd gotten used to it and knew in his heart that he never would.

"That's alright Harry; alright indeed!" Slughorn gasped out of breath from his exertions. "I wanted to give you this before you left and just hadn't gotten around to it what with everything going on." The man held a rolled parchment in his beefy fist and thrust it at Harry who instinctively took it and felt the train begin to roll beneath the foot that remained on the platform.

"Gotta go Professor," he said and stepped onboard and swung the door shut.

"We're all in danger Harry," Slughorn shouted. "All of us!" the train picked up speed and Harry watched as Slughorn looked a little bewildered as he realized that there were no longer people gathered around him and he was left on the platform. He blanched and quickly disapparated.

Harry pulled in his head and saw that Ginny had waited for him.

"What did he give you?" she asked.

"Don't know," he answered. "A letter, I guess. Let's find Ron and Hermione and then I can tell you.

They proceeded down the corridor until they found the open compartment door and Hermione and Ron inside. As always two others had joined their little homeward bound party; Luna and Neville. They settled themselves in and Harry unrolled the parchment.

_Dear Harry,_

_I do believe you must be blaming me for the death of Dumbledore. I have regretted the fact that I offered the memory to you that was the cause of it all and wish that I could take it all back. I just don't know what got into me that day since I had resisted Albus' attempts to retrieve that very memory himself._

_I am writing to try and make amends to you. I believe that Albus was on the trail of that object and that you probably might follow in his footsteps what with the fact that you-know-who probably did make a you-know-what in his attempts to become immortal. _

_I behoove you with all my heart to be careful, Harry. He made attempts to enlist my aid and succor, and as you know I made myself hard to find for well over a year so that could not happen. I'm afraid that he will attempt again with a little more persuasion and so I am leaving the country. However, before I go, I felt so badly that I thought perhaps I can offer you one more clue. 'Why not?', I say to myself, 'I've already thrown the baby out with the bath water.' So if you will meet me in one week I will let you know WHO taught HIM how to make that thing you search for. _

_Instructions for our rendezvous are below._

_Yours truly,_

_Horace Slughorn_

_1415 Mockingbird Lane, London. 10:00 o'clock sharp, please, Harry._

Harry reread the message and raised an eyebrow. He knew Slughorn was trying not to use the word Horcrux in the message in case it got in the wrong hands and if it had been read by anyone else they might have had difficulty. As it was it was very clear that Slughorn, as usual, decided everything was all about him, even Dumbledore's death. _Offering me the memory,_ Harry sneered, _that was hilarious_. He had gone to a lot of trouble to get that memory from the man. Harry wondered what Slughorn would have thought if he had gone one step further with his imagination and realized that Voldemort had not only made one Horcrux , he had made seven.

"Harry, can you tell us what it's about?" Hermione asked. She sat near a window and watched him as he skimmed the letter again.

Harry glanced at Luna who was drawing on a piece of paper something that looked rather like a green griffin and yet was not exactly right. He hesitated to even ask her what it was. And then Neville was riding with them and he didn't want him to know anything about the Horcruxes and so shook his head, trying to give her a look that meant 'I'll tell you later."

She caught on quickly and nodded and Ron followed the whole procedure and understood as well. He settled back into his seat and stared out the window.

They rode for over an hour before Hermione stood and stretched. "I think I'll go for a little walk and saw my goodbyes. Ron, you coming?"

Ron had half fallen asleep and jerked awake and stared at her before she bumped his knee with her own and he rose to his feet. He had grown considerably over the school term and had to bend his head a little to get out the door. Harry watched them leave and then stood and excused himself. He left Neville and Luna playing a game and Ginny standing watch over them in case they decided to follow.

He wandered down the corridor until a hand grabbed his jacket and pulled him into an empty niche at the end of the train car.

"So what did Slughorn say?" Hermione asked as she peered around the corner and watched for strolling students.

Harry leaned against the wall and whispered, "He said he felt responsible for Dumbledore's death because he told me about the Horcruxes. He said he wants to make it up to me by telling me who taught Riddle how to do the spell to make them; AND he says he thinks Voldemort will try and persuade him to join his side."

"Really," Ron said. "He is responsible as far as I'm concerned.. He told You-Know-Who about them in the first place."

Harry was well aware of how much Ron disliked the man who favored some over others. He had been one not favored and it had rankled him.

"If you remember right, Riddle asked him, not the other way round," Harry replied.

Ron frowned and was about to comment when Hermione broke in, "So he's going to tell you who taught Voldemort. Will that do any good?"

Harry shrugged. "It's better then nothing Hermione. I haven't got many clues as to how to find them all and the only person who researched it is gone." Harry felt a familiar tightness in his chest at the thought of, Dumbledore, his head master and friend, now dead.

Hermione was silent as if thinking about it and Ron was watching the two of them.

"Why don't we meet him with you," she suggested. "When are you suppose to see each other?"

"In a week," Harry read the instructions.

"Alright then," she nodded. "I'll get a taxi and pick you up at your Aunt's house." She turned to Ron and scratched her chin. "Ron you write to Fred and George and see if you can't stay with them this coming week. You'll be right at Diagon Alley and we can catch you on the way."

Harry thought about it and shrugged. The Dursleys would not be happy about him leaving the house in the evening. But then, he had made a decision that he would leave the Dursleys long before the month was up. He had his own ideas about what he wanted to do and didn't want to share them. He knew he was returning to Number Four Privet Drive for one reason only and it had nothing to do with the fact that it offered him one month of protection.

"Right then," she said. "I'll send you a letter with the particulars. Harry are you going to be alright at the Dursleys?"

"We've got it set, Hermione," Ron answered for him. "He's coming to the Burrow."

"Yes, well you can't apparate there because you don't have your license." She wrinkled her nose and then peeked around the corner again. "And what happens if he has a problem with his aunt and uncle, Ron? What then?"

"I'll be alright, Hermione." He felt a bit miffed. She was treating him like a child. "I'm almost seventeen you know. I can take care of myself."

She turned to him with a look that would have made Mrs. Weasley blush. "I understand that, Harry. However, it's not often that the darkest, most feared wizard of all time is looking for you. Not to mention he's killed a very powerful wizard already, well, one of his Death Eaters did anyway." She frowned at his expression. " I think it pays to be cautious. We need to stay in touch and we need to plan ahead. We haven't had time to do that yet. We have to meet. Hogwarts may not even remain open after all that has happened. There's nothing that's sure right now."

Harry nodded and bit back the remarks that were at the tip of this tongue. He didn't want to fight with her; wasn't in the mood to have a conversation about Snape or Voldemort. "You're right."

Ron agreed, "Yeah, we've got to make plans. I don't even know if the Order is going to go on without Dumbledore."

"It has to!" Hermione breathed, looking suddenly distraught. "Surely Lupin will keep them together. Have you heard something from your mum or dad about it?"

Ron shook his head.

"There's the wedding. We'll meet then," Harry murmured. He had planned on being gone from the Dursleys and away from Ron and Hermione long before the wedding in the summer. He didn't want them to know that he thought it too dangerous to have them nearby and didn't think he could stand it if he lost either of them.

"Yes," Ron nodded. "You'll be with us by then. We need to figure out what to do."

"In the meantime, Harry," Hermione turned back to him, "I'm going to do some research and see what I can find. Just remember it's one month and then you're of age."

"I have to say something," Harry began and wished that he could avoid the reaction he was going to receive. "Hermione it may not be a good idea for you to go to Bill and Fleure's wedding. In fact, it might be better if you avoid coming back at all for awhile."

She stared at him with astonishment and her mouth gaped open at the suggestion. Ron was also looking at him as if he were mental. They had both just made up and become close and Harry knew Ron wanted to spend time with her.

"What is on your mind?!" she whispered fervently, her brows knitted together in frustration.

"Hermione," he pleaded, "Voldemort and his Death Eaters are going to be looking for muggle-born wizards and witches. You'll be in terrible danger." The fact that she was also a friend of his made her an even bigger target.

"Are you...have you...gone completely mad?! she stuttered.

He felt the heat of her fury and he raised his hands and backed away a step. "I understand, I do, Hermione," he said retreating a little more.

"When have you ...when have we not all stuck together and been the better for it?" she challenged. "I will not bail out on you now even if you try and drive me away." She frowned, hands on hips. "You wouldn't try would you, Harry?" This time she was speaking very loudly. "Because...because if you do..." she turned to Ron, "What do you say about it?"

"He does have a point Hermione," Ron nodded in agreement and cringed a little as she

glared at him.

"Ha!" she huffed. "Well I don't need your permission to do anything. So it is settled. We will meet in one week." She turned her back on them and made her way towards their compartment.

"Nice try, mate," Ron said sympathetically. "She is strong willed isn't she?"

Harry shook his head at his remark and left it at that. Nothing had been resolved and he wasn't sure that he wanted to see Slughorn. He had promised to notify them and make arrangements to meet if he wanted them along.

Several hours later they pulled into Kings Cross station and his mood took an even steeper dive when he saw the Dursleys waiting on the platform as he stepped through the barrier. Dudley had gained in height what he had lost in weight and he looked formidable standing beside his now diminutive mother and grotesquely obese father.

He didn't turn back to wave goodbye, fearing that he might just set his belongings down in the middle of the terminal and refuse to budge for a month.

Arrival at Number Four Privet Drive was uneventful. Harry's Uncle Vernon disappeared to the lounge and turned on the television, Dudley went off with friends and Aunt Petunia went into the kitchen. No one had spoken to him even at the train station. He pulled his trunk up the stairs and parked it in the corner of his room. The bed hadn't been made up nor did it have bedding. The room looked like a prison cell.

He opened the cage door to Hedwig's cage and let her step onto her perch and then sat on the edge of the bed and waited in silence.

He had not seen his aunt since leaving her the night Dumbledore had arrived as his escort. Harry doubted that they knew that Dumbledore was now dead. He doubted they knew anything about what had taken place the past months. Looking back on it he could see how Dumbledore had tried to forewarn him that he might not be around much longer. He had told Harry's aunt and uncle that he was to be of age on this birthday, not his eighteenth birthday. And at the time, Harry was nonplussed when Dumbledore had confided in the Dursleys that Harry had an inheritance from Sirius. Dumbledore had even gone so far as to test Kreacher's allegiance to him and to see if he would be obedient to someone other than a Black.

All of the little things began to come back to him as he sat there and the sky turned from light blue to a dark peach, then orange and finally a deep indigo. There was a sharp rap on the door and his aunt's voice, muffled and garbled coming through the door; something about, "Wash up and...for dinner."

Although not hungry, Harry was not about to displease his aunt. He had something he wanted from her and he needed to pick a time to approach her; he didn't want her angry.

He went downstairs with his feet dragging on each step. He passed the wretched cupboard that he had spent so many years sleeping and spending his time in and touched it lightly with his fingers. He wasn't exactly saying goodbye, since the house and the people in it meant very little to him, but he was finding an anchor in the memory.

Dinner was very familiar. They ate in silence and Dudley watched his favorite shows on the television from several angles, since several televisions had been installed for that purpose. His aunt and uncle spoke to each other but did not address him, as was their custom. He was used to not having them quiz him about his school year and was even relieved. It wasn't until he'd almost put the last mouthful in his mouth that his uncle suddenly turned to him.

"Now-we- your aunt and I, have some things to discuss with you," Uncle Vernon said reluctantly looking directly at him.

Harry nodded and chewed thoughtfully. It was going to be very difficult to keep his resolve to be nice to them but knew it was his last chance to get what he wanted.

"Since your people..." he sneered slightly as he said it, "consider you of age on your birthday, which is one month away, then we expect you to move out at that time."

Harry nodded again.

"If I understood correctly you inherited some money and some real estate when your godfather died." Vernon coughed slightly into his meaty fist and continued, "We have not asked for compensation for having paid for all of your expenses over the last seventeen years. It was out of the goodness of our hearts that we even took you in..."

"How much?" Harry asked, interrupting the syrupy story his uncle was weaving.

"Huh? What?" his uncle asked.

"How much money do you want?" Harry asked simply and when his aunt and uncle looked at each other and then at him he went on, "Wizard money doesn't come in pounds, it comes in gold galleons. So how much do you want?"

"Er, uh," Uncle Vernon was turning a slight shade of crimson and was getting flustered.

Harry had seen the look many times and hurried to add, "I'll have to go to Gringott's, that's the wizarding bank, to make a withdrawal. I would guess you could have the gold converted to cash, if that would suit you."

"Yes," Vernon said.

"Very well," Harry said, nodding and picked up his plate to take it to the sink. He could hear a whispered conversation at his back.

"Fifty-five percent," Uncle Vernon blurted out.

Harry turned to them and studied them and then nodded. He had no idea how much money Sirius and the Black family had left behind but he had not wanted any of it anyway.

Satisfied that he wasn't going to argue, Uncle Vernon continued, "That does not mean that you will not be responsible for doing the work around the house as payment for your keep for the next month."

Harry nodded again.

Vernon pushed his chair away from the table appearing triumphant and pulled the napkin from beneath his chin. He leaned over and pecked Harry's Aunt Petunia on the cheek and said, "I'm off. I won't be late."

Harry couldn't believe his ears. His uncle never left the house when he got home in the evening. It presented a perfect time for him to confront his aunt. He waited until he heard the car pull out of the parkway and finished scraping the dishes and soaping them down before they went into the washer- something his aunt always insisted on- before he spoke. She was still at the table finishing her tea.

He stepped back into the room and checked on Dudley who was engrossed in his programs. His aunt looked at him with frightened eyes when he sat down across from her.

"What?" she began to say and he raised a hand to silence her.

"I'll do what Uncle Vernon asks on one condition," he said. Her eyes got wider and he knew that she was feeling trapped. "I want to know about my mother. You're the only one that can tell me anything about her. This is the last chance I'll have and then I'll disappear from your life forever." He watched her go from fearful to angry as he talked. "Dumbledore died just a couple of days ago. He was murdered. So whatever you promised him you are now released from your obligation. I can leave the house tonight," he said and finished with, "You can tell Uncle Vernon I ran away.

She studied him for a moment, looked at her hand and then stood and said, "Wait here."

Harry sat at the table and stared out into the garden that was growing dimmer as the evening proceeded. He was filled with the same nostalgia that he had before coming in for supper and something else that he couldn't put his finger on. It was like some sixth sense had been triggered. He stared at the garden and thought that the moment he left the house and its' protection he would be a hunted man and no matter how much he hated being with his aunt and uncle, what lay in wait for him was worse.

He sensed her presence immediately and turned to look up at her. She held something in her hands that she placed in front of him. It was a leather-bound book, crumpled at the edges with things stuffed in between the pages so that it looked lumpy.

"It was your mother's diary or journal," Aunt Petunia said. "Dumbledore sent it to me when she was killed. I don't know why he thought I would want it." She said it gruffly. "It yours. Now, I expect you to leave and make good your promise."

Harry picked up the precious book and stood and looked at her for a moment before asking, "How could you hate her so? She was your sister?"

Petunia stared back defiantly and answered, "I took you in and you have lived here for seventeen years. I have paid my dues. No one can say that I haven't. Now I understand that the Unbreakable Vow is dissolved at the death of either party. That's what your Dumbledore said. So he is dead and I am no longer obligated."

Harry listened in fascination. _You've had made a magical Unbreakable Vow to Dumbledore, _he thought to himself. He answered her, "I don't know about Unbreakable Vows, Aunt Petunia, but since you have given me this I will do what I said I'd do and leave." He turned away to head up stairs and then turned back. "Was there anything else that you got that belonged to my mother?"

His aunt was staring out in the garden as he had only moments earlier. She sighed deeply and then turned to him.

"Just a message. I never understood what it meant until this evening." She paused for a moment and said, " She sent it by one of those infernal owls just days before she died. The paper said , 'Tell Harry that it is at Gringott's in vault 125."

Harry froze as he heard the words and struggled to speak, "What is IT?"

She shrugged and turned away. "I haven't the faintest idea. Your Uncle will be back in a half hour. I suggest you be gone by then."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two A Missing Horcrux

The scent of flowers drifted up through the window and Harry stood looking out for a moment before placing the book in his trunk, covering it with his Quidditch robes and shutting it. He had both anticipated and also hoped that he would not have to leave before the month was out. But knew that as soon as he spoke to his aunt that it would be the final result and so had made plans for either occasion. He lifted Hedwig from her perch, stroke her feathers and stood at the open window. "Go now," he said. "Go to the Burrow and stay there until I come for you." She blinked at him once, raised her wings and took flight, swooping out into the night sky, a faint white spot against the deep blue darkness. He watched until he could see her no longer and then turned, surveyed the room for the last time and headed out.

His aunt was nowhere to be seen when he opened the front door and closed it behind him. He remembered a similar trip years before when he had inadvertently blown up his aunt and had left the house. This time he knew he would not be returning. He walked a short distance and did something that was also very familiar. He threw out his wand hand and stepped back out of the way. He was not surprised this time by the violently purple-colored bus that careened into the curb.

Stan Shunpike was not on board to greet any passengers. Harry knew that he had been arrested for allegedly involving himself in Death Eater activity. It was sad to realize that Stan had probably not been released yet. Harry pulled his trunk up with him and nodded at the driver. He was relieved to discover that Ernie Prang was still the driver of the Knight bus.

Harry glanced at the contents of the first tier of the bus and noticed that it was empty of occupants, something else he was grateful for. He handed the customary knuts over to Ernie who dropped them in a leather purse, closed the door and tapped his temple. "'WH-R-ARE YOU 'EAHED, 'OY? was how it came out, as if he always liked dropping the first letter of every word he spoke.

"Godric's Hollow," Harry said and crossed his fingers behind his back. He wasn't sure that just saying the words would be enough. _Does he know where it is_? he wondered.

"Oy?" Ernie asked and Harry repeated his destination more loudly. "Oh aye, 'odrics' 'ollow. "Aven't been there in years. No conductor t'night. Take a bed."

Harry was very aware that he needed to move quickly and actually dove towards the first bed in the bus just as Ernie hit the gas. Riding the Knight Bus was always an experience and Harry found that this was no different. This was no gentle ride and didn't allow for anything but looking for the next handhold or object to cling to, let alone sitting back and reading or enjoying any sightseeing.

In any case, he was not in the mood for sightseeing or reading. He placed a protective foot on his trunk and held on for the journey. He had no idea how long that would be, and considering that he might be the only one on the bus, he thought he might just be the first one off.

"Will it take a long time?" he shouted finally.

"Uh?" Ernie asked and turned and looked at him, completely ignoring the road ahead. "You say 'omething?"

"Yes. How long will it take?" Harry shouted. "Do you have other passengers?"

" Others? Oy don' know, let me see. I'll go check." And before Harry could blink, Ernie was out of his driver's seat and was through the bus and up the stairs to the second tier. Harry was left to watch in horror as the bus drove through London, on its' own and at full speed.

He didn't know what to do; whether to continue to cling to the bed that was sliding from side to side or to try and get to his feet and take the wheel. He was just about to roll over and throw a leg out to stop his constant movement when Ernie came walking through like a sailor on a ship and found his place at his seat again.

"No others," he shouted. "Be there soon."

They were rolling through small villages and here and there he stared out and saw fires and furtive figures running through the dark. He thought for a moment that he might have also seen the winking green of the skull and snake that was Voldemort's sign of death in the sky.

"What's happening?" he shouted as they rounded a bend and zoomed through a pitch black tunnel.

"'You're 'arry Potter!" Ernie mouthed. "There's those that are lookin' fer ye. The world 'as been turned upside down. It's You-Know-Who that's taken over. Nothin's safe now ye see. People are hiding or runnin' fer their lives. They say that you be the Chosen One, come to save our sorry souls." Ernie shook his head and chewed on his rubbery lips. "It's foolish to think a boy kin save us now."

"What about the Ministry? Are they doing anything?" Harry was clinging to a hand-carved bedpost and shouting above the racket of the bus' top scraping the roof of the tunnel and shooting out sparks that rained down on each side of the bus like a shower of gold.

Ernie pulled out a gold pocket watch, shook it and looked at it with his hands once again off the steering wheel. He then poured a cup of tea from the end of his wand into a fine china cup and pulled out a sandwich.

Harry thought the man hadn't heard the question and was about to ask again when the man turned to him with crinkled red eyes and munched away at his sandwich as he talked. "Got no way to stop 'em. They're running all over the country. I 'ardly stop fer passengers, afraid they'll kill me or make me do sumptin' bad. But I knew it was you; had stopped there once afore you know. Sides, yer safer wit me then wanderin' around on yer own." Ernie turned his head back to the road. "Aye it's become winter in our hearts and the world is coming' to an end."

Harry sat thinking over what he was hearing. The old man suddenly reached down and picked up a paper near his feet and stuffed it into Harry's hands.

"Yeh kin read it fer yourself," Ernie said and leaned back apparently to take a quick nap.

Harry watched the road ahead for a few minutes wondering if it was a good idea for the driver to nap and then decided that the bus was not his problem. He glanced at the headlines of the Daily Prophet and gasped.

The paper had made a decision. The publishers seemed to not want to jeopardize their future and were now printing articles about cleansing the wizarding world of muggle-born witches and wizards or at least reducing their population. New laws were being enacted by the Wizengamot and it looked like new trials were taking place. Familiar faces were paraded across the page in front of his eyes. Cornelius Fudge was being dragged towards a doorway looking for all the world like a crazed man. Delores Umbridge stood to the side looking satisfied and nodding towards the reading audience as if to say that he truly was mad and they were ridding the world of one less crazy politician.

Harry glanced at the other reports and kept shaking his head in disbelief. In just a few days Voldemort had spread his spider's web far and wide. There was even a picture of Lucius Malfoy with the headline: _Upstanding Citizen and Pureblood Member of Ancient Wizarding Family Embarrassed: Unjustly Accused and Imprisoned! _over his face.

He stared at Lucius who stood with his wife to one side and Draco in front of him.

Harry was happy to see that Draco looked uncomfortable standing with his father's somewhat twisted and malformed hand on his shoulder. The steely eyes of Lucius Malfoy held no warmth and there was a gauntness and severity etched there by the months he had spent in Azkaban. Harry studied the woman beside and slightly behind him. He had seen Draco's mother several times. She had always appeared to have a rather haughty manner. The picture showed him something else now. Her eyes were on her son, not looking straight ahead, and there was fear on her face. He didn't read the article below the picture knowing that he could not stomach whatever it was the paper was trying to force-feed the public.

Instead, his eyes skipped further down until he spotted his own name. He was listed as a fugitive wanted for questioning by the Ministry in connection with Dumbledore's death. He skimmed the words in disbelief.

_Harry Potter seen fleeing the scene of the crime was not apprehended when he brazenly attended Albus Dumbledore's funeral the following day out of fear that innocent people and dignitaries coming to pay respects would be harmed. There is every reason to believe that he played a part in the headmaster's death and has subsequently vanished and cannot be located for questioning. Anyone who has had contact is urged to inform the Ministry at once_. _Do not approach as he may be dangerous._

He read further holding his breath in amazement. Without realizing it, he had been away from Hogwarts less then a week and was now no less than a criminal. Witnesses had been called together to discredit him, and Filches records had been confiscated. Harry read with growing anger, the exploits of his father and friends blown out of proportion and spread across two pages in very tiny print. The very catalogue that Snape had forced him to copy in detention was now a matter of public record and worse; exaggerated beyond reason.

There were people who were being interviewed, which included Delores Umbridge and many of the issues that had been raised over the years, including the fact that a condemned criminal was his godfather, were being dredged up once again for consumption.

He glanced out of the driver's window and listened to Ernie Prang snore as they jumped through the dark countryside with only the lonely headlamps to light the darkness ahead. The paper dropped to his lap and he lay on the rocking, sliding bed around the bus like a skater on an ice pond and felt his anger grow, feeling helpless to do anything about what was happening in the world.

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The Weasley household was in shambles. Usually neat and tidy even with such a large family, Molly and Arthur had convened a meeting with their family, including the twins who now lived on their own over their shop and, the older boys Bill and Charlie. Ron and Ginny were consigned to the end of the table and Fleur sat between Ginny and Bill.

The house had been searched by Ministry wizard's looking for information on the whereabouts of Harry Potter and for anything that they might use to blacken the good name of Arthur who had been suspended from his job because of rumors of his having been a member of some underground organization involved in illegal activities against the Ministry.

The informants had not given a name and so the words, 'Order of the Phoenix' had yet to reach public ears, but many of the members were being harassed, rounded up and shipped to Azkaban or held awaiting trial. Everyone at the table knew that the rumor had probably been created by none other than Severus Snape. Once he had killed Dumbledore it was not beyond their imagination for him to betray the Order and every member in it.

Hedwig had arrived earlier and there was no message tied to her leg and so they were assuming the worst and the mood at the table was anything but cheery.

"We're all going to have to go into hiding for a short time until it's safe," Arthur was saying. That brought a roar from the twins who couldn't afford to close shop, from Fleur who wanted to carry on with her wedding plans and from Ron and Ginny.

He held up his hands and waited for his family to quiet while Molly shot disapproving looks at them all. "It's my understanding the Number 12 Grimmauld Place may be a safe place to stay. Those of you who wish to go there may. We're taking Ginny there and you may join us if you wish. Since you are all of age I cannot force you to go."

"Is it safe there?" Bill asked. "Snape knows about it."

"Dumbledore was the secret-keeper for the Order. He left Remus with instructions in case of his death," Arthur said and coughed into his fist. He seemed to be struggling with his fear and was being much more direct with his family then usual. "We'll be safe there and perhaps can begin to plan to fight back. I know that I will feel better knowing that all of you are within arms reach. So many are being taken and...and I can't fight if I know that harm will come to any of you." He suddenly collapsed in a chair and held a hand over his eyes.

Molly reached over and laid a hand on his arm knowing immediately that he was overwhelmed. She looked at her family and for the first time in such a situation, remained silent.

They all waited for a few minutes and then Charlie was the first to speak. "I think that it might be a good idea. However, I think that it would be best for me to return to Romania and see if I can drum up some help there. I'll be safe out of the country. Bill still needs to recuperate and needs to rest. I can't decided for any of you but I'm not backing down and letting He-Who-Must... Aghh, Blimey!" he grunted and spit the last out, "...Voldemort win! If we stop now, he'll take over. We've got to find a way to stop him."

Bill was nodding as he listened and he stood and Fleur stood a moment later. "We will do this too," she said quietly and hugged his arm to her.

"Darn right!" the twins said in unison.

"There's plenty of people that we can talk to. Lots of mates from school and customers," Fred said.

George nodded along with his brothers words. "It's scary because people are afraid and thinking that there's no one to stop him. The Ministry has turned coat. So it's up to us. We have to be the new Order of the Phoenix, dad. You're running out of soldiers."

Ron and Ginny were the last on their feet. Ron spoke first, "Harry is my friend. We all know that he's innocent and that they are trying to make him the villain so that Vol..."

Ginny punched him in the ribs to force the words from his mouth, "...Voldemort can get to him. He wants to kill him in the worst way. He needs our help and I'm gonna give it to him. He'll come to Grimmauld Place if he's in trouble because he doesn't have anywhere else to go. I wanna be there if he does. And I'm old enough to be a member of the Order. It's time you let us fight."

Ginny walked to her father and touched his shoulder. His worried face turned up towards hers. As his only daughter she carried favor with him. "You can't stop this war, dad; not all by yourself. We'll go with you to No# 12 Grimmauld Place if you let us help. We've got to find Harry and protect him. If he gets hurt...or dies," she paused and took a breath, "then all is truly lost."

Arthur looked at them all and finally nodded. Molly threw her arms around his neck and sobbed quietly, while the family stood around the table looking at each other glumly.

------------------------------

Remus Lupin walked in the shadows of the street which was empty of shoppers. It was early in the afternoon and many of the shops were closed. The fear that had invaded the rest of Britain had intruded on Diagon Alley. He stood quietly at the junction between Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley and then slipped down the street into the more fetid, claustrophobic street.

There, the shops were not closed. On the contrary, it seemed that they were open for a holiday. Witches and wizards of every variety and walk-of-life prowled the filthy street and inhaled the odors of decay that emanated off the sooty brick walls and smeared, dusty windows.

He walked unnoticed by the occupants and shoppers. He was, after all, one of them and accepted by them. He moved quietly and without encountering anyone until he spotted the shop. Before entering, he studied the faces of the few that loitered nearby. There was a filthy vagabond who sat on the cobblestone of the street and slept in his own filthy clothes, head down on crossed arms. He recognized one of the women who strolled up the street and who did her business on the street. There were several squibs who frequented Knockturn Alley always in search of someone who would perform magic for them for one reason or another. There was no one of great interest and no one who took an interest in him.

Remus ducked his head and stepped in through the door. The inside had the standard appearance of a bookshop, although the titles of the books on the shelves indicated that it delved into the Dark Arts in the biggest way. A goblin by the name of Quag looked up from the counter and a very tall wizard who had been talking to him also looked up. The wizard recognized Lupin and nodded towards a curtained door.

Remus glanced down the aisles as he walked past the rows of book shelves and saw that the only occupants in the outer room were the bookstore owner and the goblin. He head the faint tinkling at the door and knew the goblin had gone.

The inner room that he stepped into was more like a closet then an actual room. It was filled ceiling to floor with shelves that held a different variety of objects. There were still books on the shelves; books he knew to be of tremendous value and very, very dark and horrible. Some of these were covered, not in leather, but in human skin. Some of the books mumbled incoherently and some were sealed with heavy locks and wax. He ignored these and studied other artifacts that were accumulating dust on the shelves. He even spotted the family crest of the Black family amongst the clutter.

The tall wizard came through the curtain a minute later. He was rather stork-like in appearance and movement. His nose was that of a bird, beaky and long with a hump in the middle. He was very thin and lanky and arranged himself in a chair before Lupin and crossed his extraordinary long legs and folded his long pale fingers together in an attitude of attentive listening.

"What can I do for you my friend," he asked.

Lupin struggled not to smile. He knew that to do so was dangerous; but it always amused him to talk to Bird, because the name was so apt. "I've come with some things to sell. I have some items that I would like to dispose of for a little spending money." He was not about to let on that he needed the money desperately in order to bribe people at the Ministry and at Azkaban to release friends of his or that the items he was selling came from the Black estate and from Dumbledore.

The man smiled and uncrossed his legs. "You've never been a customer of mine Remus, although I am not surprised that you are here. You've always acted rather high and mighty for our kind I must say. Arrogance is not a becoming character trait in this environ and hardly suits a werewolf, now does it Lupin? There have been rumors you know. I've heard that Grayback Fenrir is very interested in finding you; as are others."

Remus studied the man, now completely sober and not feeling amused at all. "You'll either buy these items from me or you won't. I think that there will be interested dealers once word gets out that I have them. I can always go to Borgin and Burkes." He knew that dropping the name would rile the store owner who was always in competition for valuable stolen goods or dark items.

The thin hand waved at him. "No need. We are friendly here and very discreet." What he was saying was that he would not pass the word that it was Lupin that had brought in merchandise; and yet Remus knew that word would spread almost before he let the door close behind him.

With little hesitation he lifted a valise onto the desk and waved his hand. The lid opened to reveal an object setting in a purple velvet-lined case. Bird leaned forward and looked at it and then leaned back, his eyes were now crackling with delight, the rest of his face was stone-like; he was wearing his poker-face.

"Very interesting, Lupin. Where did you get it?"

"I thought you said you would be discreet," Remus said.

Bird nodded and Lupin saw a mild trembling in the fingers as if they itched to touch the object. "Does it belong to HIM?" he asked.

Remus nodded. "It will be of great value to someone. Of course, the Dark Lord searches for it even now." He added the rest for good measure knowing that to be caught with it in one's possession would mean certain death. To have it and know that it belonged to Voldemort- was treasured by Voldemort- added to its' intrinsic value.

The thin white fingers hovered over the object and then were withdrawn. The man smiled and nodded and the case closed. " I am assuming you have provenance?" Remus nodded in response. "Very well. Let us talk."

Twenty minutes later Remus stepped out of the shop. He could not have known that the object that he had just sold, that had lain dormant in the Black mansion for over seventeen years, held the Horcrux that Harry sought to destroy.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

The village of Hogsmeade and Hogwarts was under siege. Minerva McGonagall had inherited the position of Headmistress of Hogwarts after Dumbledore's death. The Ministry and the new Minister were also under attack. Scrimgeour stood in Dumbledore's office and studied the portrait of the old headmaster. McGonagal was seated, not behind the massive cluttered desk, but in front of a cold blackened fireplace.

"Minerva, I cannot fight a war on a half dozen fronts. Please do not make this any more difficult than it already is," Scrimgeour said it bitterly and turned to her.

"Do you want me to make it easy for you Minister?" McGonagall said and sipped at her tea nonchalantly. "You are asking that I take that dreadful woman back here and install her as a teacher once again. She'll turn this into a military school and she'll torture any student that is not pureblood, IF they return at all. I would rather close the school than let that happen." She was talking about his suggestion of bringing back Delores Umbridge.

"It is not within your power to close this school, Minerva," Scrimgeour said it bluntly and strolled in front of her and the fireplace. "Do you not understand that I am losing control of the situation." He shook his head and frowned severely at her. He hated admitting it and especially to this woman who had been a close friend of Dumbledore's.

She stared up at him and nodded. "I understand very well, Minister. However, if you do this then I might as well open the doors and invite Voldemort in. He will manage the school like a puppet on strings anyway." She sat the teacup down. "No. I'll turn away and set the locks on the doors myself before I let it happen."

"Perhaps that would be best anyway," Scrimgeour said and straightened his posture as she glared up at him. He remembered having been a student of hers and knew that she was stubborn and strong-willed. He knew even as he disapparated from his office to walk up the path to the front entrance of the school that he would make no headway with her.

"Very well!" she said and stood to walk to the window and gaze out on the grounds. Hogwarts had never been closed since the founding wizard and witches had set the first stone in its walls.

"Minerva," he coaxed. "Is that what you want?" He studied the room once again. "You know the Board will want to keep it open and they will just replace you and any teacher that forces the issue. It is not something I can stop right now. I am trying to keep them from taking over the Ministry. The pressure is tremendous!" This time his voice was less stern and even a little pleading. He cringed at the sound of it. "Voldemort wants Hogwarts as his headquarters. At least if it remains a school that will slow him down."

"So be it, Minister," she said and turned to him. "No one can have this school as long as there are people still loyal to Dumbledore. They may take it over for a time, but not forever. Let them come."

He shook his head and picked up his hat and traveling cape. "What about the other. I know Dumbledore was actively involved in trying to destroy Voldemort. Did he know anything about this underground organization they are talking about in the Daily Prophet?"

McGonagall smiled slightly and her eyes narrowed. "We had a close working relationship but he would not have confided that information to me."

He knew that she was lying and admired her for it, but also felt some anxiety for her. She was an old woman and a stay in Azkaban would be a death sentence for her. He tried one more time to convince his old teacher, "Minerva, I am trying to protect you. There will be others that will...question...you." He sighed. "It might be wise for you to leave the country for awhile."

McGonagall laughed and huffed a little as she moved slowly across the room to stand before him. "Do you think I am afraid, Rufus? Have you ever known me to be afraid?"

He studied her green-gray eyes and shook his tawny mane of hair. He studied her over his glasses and shook his head in exasperation. "They'll take you Minerva and they'll torture you and you'll die a hard death in Azkaban. I cannot stop it. If I stay in office and compromise a little I can manage some of this. But I cannot protect you. I would be removed immediately and trust me someone else will take my place. Malfoy probably."

She nodded sympathetically and said, "So let us get on with our jobs and see if we can stop this deluge. By the way, Rufus, I understand that you have a grandson that will be starting Hogwarts this coming term."

The eyes searched his face and he felt himself cringe once again. It felt like he had never grown up and left her classroom. "Yes, I do." He turned away from her, not wanting her to see the anger and embarrassment on his face. "We've never needed an army like the muggles have Madam McGonagall and all the wizarding world have been proud of the fact. Now I fear it will be our downfall. I am but one man and Voldemort is going to cut through this land like a wand through a daffodil field all because there will be no one to oppose him. If Albus banded together with others to fight Voldemort and you are aware of who they are, then it would behoove you to call them to arms." He stopped and looked up once again at the portraits of the old headmasters who were listening intently and then at the sleeping portrait of Dumbledore. He shook his head. He knew that he and Dumbledore had been at odds with one another for many years. "And find that Potter boy if you can. He's important for some reason and he's gone missing." He heard her sharp intake of breath and knew that the news surprised her. "They want him rather badly I'm afraid, he added just as he left the office.

He strolled through the castle on the way to the front gates and stopped periodically to touch something or relive an old memory as he stood in front of an empty classroom. The corridors and rooms were vacant and not even a ghost appeared to float by. "Farewell my love," he said softly to the empty school, glancing back once into the dim light of the front entrance hall and then stepped through the large front doors and out into the sunlight.

-----------------------

The vagabond creature that had sat on the cobblestone steps in the shade and shadows; the filthy rags reeking of odd odors suddenly moved and a tall man stood and glanced around. The hair was oily and lank and black and framed a pale face with black eyes. Snape was a master of disguise and had done a fairly meticulous job of transfiguring his features so that he was not recognizable. He placed his hand on the door of the bookshop and pushed as he looked over his shoulder and stepped in.

--------------------------------

Hermione continued to read the paper feeling more horrified as she skimmed along. The Daily Prophet's second edition of the day was more gloomy then the last. "This is rubbish!" she exclaimed to Crookshanks who lay at the end of her bed and watched her. The cat always seemed to have a rather smug expression on his face.

She squashed the paper with her fists and looked frantically around her room. Since arriving home, her belongings had been put away, her magical items stored neatly in her trunk at the end of her bed. It took her less then ten minutes to change, pack and put Crookshanks in his basket. The neatly written letter to her parents was on her table and she was out the door into the afternoon sun. People were out mowing lawns and barbequing on their grills and the street seemed busy and friendly. She studied the area around her and when she felt that it was clear she made a half turn, there was a faint pop! and she disappeared.

A pair of eyes watched the whole thing from across the street in the alleyway and as soon as the figure saw Hermione disappear there was another faint pop! and they, too, disapparated.

---------------------

The Knight bus stopped abruptly on a country lane. Harry had been studying the ceiling of the bus still in shock over what he had discovered. He rose up and looked out of the dusty windows. The lane was lined by several houses of white and a unpaved road ran in front of them shaded by large overhanging trees.

Ernie opened the door, gumming his lips and nodded to Harry. "Ere it is."

Harry stared out and frowned. _This is it? _he wondered to himself. It hardly looked like anything.

Ernie seemed to read his mind and pointed his index finger straight ahead. "Over yonder hill is the big house. It's an estate ye see. Country squire owned it once't. Lil' pub over there. Ye'll be alrigh'" He nodded reassuringly and waited for Harry to pull his trunk out the door and step out.

"Thanks," Harry said with reservation. "I guess." He was standing in the road and the sun was beating down on him. It was late afternoon but still very warm and everything around him was overgrown with wild grasses and flowers so that his nose filled with the heady aroma of summer.

Ernie tipped a finger against an invisible hat, closed the door and the bus immediately disappeared in a wake of dust.

Harry held his breath until it settled and then squinted at the area around him. He was just about to start walking towards the three houses lined up in a row when he saw a figure coming towards him. It was a woman dressed in a summer frock. Harry squinted against the low bright sunlight, held a hand to his brow to shade his eyes and suddenly grinned.

_Hermione!_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four the Locket

"They said it was at the end of this lane," Hermione said. There was a gate and no fence. The field had grown wild and there was no trace of a path or lane.

Harry had met her as he got off the Knight bus and was elated to see her. They conferred over the contents of the Daily Prophet and they were still talking about it as they searched for Harry's parents old home. Someone in the tiny village had told Hermione in what direction it lay and they had started off on their afternoon walk to find it.

Harry looked over the field and the trees that shaded it. There was a small wood towards the end of the field and he stepped through the gate and held it for her. "Let's try over there."

"So don't you think that we should try and find Lupin and tell him about the Horcruxes. If Voldemort is taking over so fast then it'll be a matter of days before he'll have so much support that no one will be able to get near him. We need help Harry," she was talking as they walked. "We need help to find the other Horcrux and to learn how to destroy them."

Harry was listening and slowing his pace. He found that she was having to hurry to keep up with him. He nodded and studied the landscape again. "I don't know, Hermione. There's so much going on."

She nodded in agreement. They topped a hill and stared down into the small basin. On the edge of an overgrown woods, made up of ancient gnarled trees and bushes sat a little cottage. The sun happened to be shining on it and here and there were small patches of white that shown brilliantly through the green overgrowth. Neither spoke as they stared down at it.

Harry knew that it was luck that had shown it to them. They started down the slope and worried their way through the tangle and the roots that threatened to ensnare their feet. Old decayed vegetation filled the air with a heavy scent and the leaves and branches of trees whipped at their faces and stuck in their clothing.

Hermione went first and used her wand to touch branches in their way. She reminded him that he was still under age and couldn't use magic out of fear of being discovered.

"How does that work, do you know, Hermione?" Harry asked in disgust. He knew she was right and still bristled at allowing her to do the work for both of them. He forgot his feelings of hostility as they drew near. The house looked innocent and bore no evidence that it had been touched by evil.

She ignored or forgot his question as she studied the house before them. It was a bungalow, dilapidated and covered in vine. The stark vacant blankness of the windows spoke of its state. No one had lived here for some time.

They approached it together. Harry had not yet told Hermione of the book that he carried with him and had left behind in the little pub and inn. He had hurriedly wrapped it in his robes and stashed it before joining her for their walk.

Hermione tapped the wooden slat door with her wand and it swung open on squeaking hinges. They stared into the dim interior. The smell alone told Harry that no one had been there. The house smelled of mildew and rot and dust rose in a cloud as the door banged against the wall. He was the first to step in and was shocked that the rooms still held furniture. As a matter of fact, the room was a sitting room and it looked like it had been left undisturbed since the night his parents were murdered.

Hermione came in behind him. "Oh my, Harry," she whispered. "Nothing's been touched."

He nodded and wandered through the room. There was a small kitchen and another small room or pantry and a door that led to a back garden. The table was set with two plates and dinnerware and there were pots on the stove. He looked at each thing keenly and tried to imagine what the scene would look like without the dust and the leaves that had blown in through a broken window and collected on the floor. He touched a spider web and its' owner sought refuge in a cupboard.

In the far end of the house he found a narrow staircase that led up to the second story. Hermione nodded to him as if to say that she would watch his back. She also seemed mesmerized by the untouched house.

Together, they climbed a few short steps which opened out into a main room that had been made up into a library and sitting room and then there were two doors that led off this room. One door was open and it was obvious it was a bedroom. The other door was closed. Harry knew what the room was before his hand touched the knob of the door. He knew it was the nursery and that it was the place where his mother had died.

He turned to Hermione who looked at him sympathetically and said, "Go on, Harry. This is what you've come for. It's best to see it all."

He nodded and turned back to the closed door.

He opened it and stood frozen in disbelief. The room was vacant except for a single chair that sat in the center. A single beam of sunlight shone on it from a dusty window and sitting on the chair was a small square jewelry case and a piece of parchment tilted against it. Hermione crowded in behind him and gasped in his ear.

"Someone's been here ahead of us," Harry said and walked through the dust to the chair. there were a set of footprints already on the floor.

"Yes, I see that."

Hermione turned and checked their backs and Harry picked up the note. He opened it and read it aloud.

_This is one of six that you are searching for. Do not touch it. It no longer has any power, but it is better to be safe. Leave Godric's Hollow quickly for HE will find you._

It was unsigned. Harry looked up at Hermione, picked up the case and raised the lid. It was a golden locket. "Someone knows about the Horcruxes, Hermione. This is the missing locket; the one that Dumbledore and I should have found in the cave."

They studied the fine gold filigree and emerald stone set in the heart-shaped locket and Harry suddenly felt his forehead blaze into pain.

"Hermione, he's coming. Apparate to Grimmauld Place. I'll meet you there!" Harry was bending over and almost retching with pain.

"Harry!" she was trying to hold him upright.

"Go! Now!" he gasped in agony and disapparated seconds behind her.

-------------------------------

Ron Weasley started down the stairs at 12 Grimmauld Place and listened to the muted sound of voices in the lounge below. He had hesitated at the top of the stairs and finally started down. He knew that Lupin, McGonagall and his parents were in the sitting room. They were discussing how to find a way to release their friends or rescue the members of the old Order of the Phoenix.

He walked softly towards the door fighting with himself. Harry had told him about the Horcruxes. He had not promised to not share that secret with anyone and yet Ron felt that with everything that was going on someone needed to know what they were really facing.

He stood in the doorway until his mother saw him.

"Ronald, this is a private meeting, go on upstairs," Molly said with exasperation. Lupin looked up. He was sitting on the edge of his chair, head bent and hands folded. He looked up when Ron entered and tried to smile. McGonagall had been telling them about a visit she'd had from the Minister. She merely raised her eyebrows when he entered.

"No, Molly, I think he has something to tell us," Arthur said, studying his son's face.

Ron gulped and nodded. "Yeah, I do."

Lupin stood and walked over and put a comforting arm around his shoulders. "Come in then and tell us. I hope it's good news. Have you heard from Harry?"

Ron tried out his own smile which faded and he shook his head. "No, no I haven't. But this is about Harry." He looked at his mother and then his father and began to talk.

An hour later, Remus was standing at the fireplace, one hand on his hip the other on his forehead. Molly was holding her husbands hand and McGonagall was pacing the room.

She was the first to speak. "This is horrible!" Her head was shaking almost as if she had palsy and she approached Lupin and stood before him. "What do you know about Horcruxes, Remus?"

His face had turned to a dusty shade of gray, even paler than his normal complexion, and he cleared his throat and continued to stare at Ron. It took a moment before he could speak. "Well it's probably the worst thing in the world that could happen," he said.

"What?" Molly choked. "Tell us Remus!"

McGonagall looked at her for a moment and then turned back to Lupin. "It means that a person uses dark magic to split their soul into pieces. The soul-piece is placed in an object. It practically makes a person immortal. The physical body can die but the soul lives on. That's how Voldemort survived his first attempt to kill Harry Potter."

Lupin looked at her and rubbed his mouth. He nodded. "Yes, that's it basically. A blood charm was placed on Harry, probably Lily did it. It was what saved him and sent Voldemort into a sort of exile, without his body, but left with his mind. He was resurrected by using Harry's blood in the cemetery. It was the only way he could have survived, his soul was intact but not his body," he laughed suddenly. "WELL hardly intact. If I'm right there are seven Horcruxes!"

Ron nodded and said, "Harry says Dumbledore destroyed the ring and that's what burned his hand. The locket had been exchanged and so he thinks it's been destroyed. Harry destroyed the diary and that leaves the cup, the snake and something else."

Lupin was still grinning madly. "Yes, six pieces excluding the one that abides inside of him! Not one, Minerva-SIX!"

McGonagall frowned at him. "Get a hold of yourself, Remus. We mustn't lose our heads."

He sobered immediately and looked at Arthur and Molly's frightened faces. "Well, folks. It is one thing to destroy one. Look at what happened to Dumbledore. It is quite another to destroy...three others." He turned, looked around the room and spied a decanter and six sparkling goblets. He walked over, lifted the decanter of a amber colored liquid and tilted it and poured some into a glass. He looked up and saw McGonagall nod. He poured another and handed it to her. "It means that Voldemort cannot be destroyed by conventional means. He is a very adept wizard anyway. There are few that are his match and Dumbledore was one of them." He sipped the liquid and shook his head in frustration. "Bloody man had to go and get murdered he did!"

"Remus!" Molly admonished and looked at her son.

"Molly," Arthur interrupted her. "Ron is hardly innocent. He's known about this for some time so has Hermione, and worst of all Harry was encouraged by Dumbledore. He went with him and he's out there now thinking he has to destroy these...these things."

"You're right Arthur," McGonagall murmured and stared at them. "Dumbledore knew that Harry had destroyed the diary. There's something about the boy. He must have known something...thought that Harry could do the job where another wizard couldn't. He does have a connection to Voldemort. We all know it. Why he even saved your life Arthur when that snake bit you. He's got a mental connection."

Remus had been drinking the liquid in his glass and suddenly raised it and stared at it stupidly. "Confound it!"

Ron watched in fascination as Lupin staggered to a chair and dropped into it.

"What? What is it?" Arthur asked.

"Harry and Dumbledore went into the cave and retrieved the locket and Harry found it near Dumbledore's body. The note inside had the initials RAB. That could only have been Regulus." He stared at the walls around them and then looked directly at McGonagall and said, "I've been selling off Black possessions so that I could get Mad-Eye and Shacklebolt and the others released from Azkaban."

"We know that, Remus," McGonagall said, quietly.

"I just sold a necklace," Remus said. "It was a locket...a heart-shaped locket."

"Blimey!" Arthur gurgled and held his wife's hand to his chest. She clutched at his arm and they all stared at Lupin. He was now ashen.

-----------------------

Harry and Hermione apparated on Grimmauld street almost instantly and almost at the same moment. It looked differently in the light of day and there were a number of pedestrians and people enjoying the summer air in the park.

Hermione was tending to Harry almost immediately. He was bent over clutching his forehead and swooning.

"Should we get you some help, deary?" a woman asked.

"No...no. He just gets migraines," Hermione said and guided him to a bench. "I have some medicine for him." She began to search her pockets and noticed the woman smile, nod and wander off. A few others stared at them and went on about their business.

Harry was biting his tongue so that he couldn't scream. The pain was ebbing a little and he was holding onto the park bench to keep from falling off.

"Harry," Hermione whispered in his ear. "We can't get into the house with all of these people around. I need to do something...I need to create a diversion and then you can make the house appear. Are you well enough to do that?"

He nodded, still grasping his head and bending over so that his head was almost between his knees. He was certain that he would vomit on the grass and not be able to concentrate.

"I'll be behind you in five minutes. No more." She left his side and he tried to look up to see where she had gone when he heard a scream, a car horn honking and a small thud.

A woman in the park screamed and ran past him with a little poodle running frantically beside her on a leash; a man followed.

Harry looked up and over his shoulder and noticed the park was empty. He glanced over and repeated to himself, number twelve Grimmauld Place. And abruptly the house appeared between number eleven and number thirteen. He stumbled towards it, pulling himself up the stairs and knocked frantically on the door, shouting, "Let me in!"

Ron heard the sound first and then Lupin. They all recognized the voice and Lupin was out of the room and down the hall before anyone could move. Ron followed and saw him pull out his wand and remove the charms on the door. Harry fell into his arms when the door opened.

"Hermione...," Harry mumbled, "behind me..."

Ron looked past him and saw the street, a group of people gathered and a car smashed up against another car. "Where? Harry where is Hermione?"

Lupin had lowered him to the floor and was looking at him with concern on his face. Harry groaned, "She went to create a diversion...so I could get in."

Ron glanced down once and stepped over him and shot out the door.

"Ron!" Lupin reached for him and missed. He shook his head and slammed the door and touched it with his wand.

"Wait..." Harry tried to rise up.

"It's not safe, Harry," Lupin said quietly. "He'll go fetch her and come back when he knows he can get in. We risk everything if we leave the door open for their return." He helped him to a sitting position as McGonagall, and the Weasley's crowded in and the wailing began as Mrs. Black woke up. The sound nearly deafened them all and caused Harry to do the very thing that he thought might happen on the park bench, he heaved all over the carpet.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five Lily's Diary

They were still gaping at Harry when the two came in arguing as usual.

"You could have been killed!" Ron was saying, his face as bright as his hair.

"Honestly Ron, I disapparated just before the car got to me. Some witches and wizards do it all the time to muggles. There's even one called Resurrection Marry who hangs out at cemeteries, catches rides with strangers and then disapparates out of their cars before she arrives home. It scares the willies out of muggles and...Oh Harry! Are you alright?" Hermione saw him on the floor, the mess on the carpet, Lupin leaning over him with a hand on his shoulder and the Weasleys both fighting the curtains on the screaming Black woman.

Harry looked up at her, squinting in pain as she knelt at his side. "I'm fine Hermione but you gave everyone a scare. You just took off."

"Give me a little credit Harry. I can take care of myself," she huffed and put one arm under his while Lupin took the other and got him to his feet. With one wave of her wand she cleaned the floor and didn't look back as they moved him to the sitting room.

Harry no longer felt the pain in his forehead but felt the aftereffects of having Voldemort so near them. "That was close," he mumbled and slid down on the sofa and laid his head on a pillow. Lupin stood looking down at him with a strange expression on his face, raised an eyebrow and finally shook his head and found a chair nearby.

"I take it that your scar is hurting you," he said.

Harry nodded. "We were at Godric's Hollow." He told them quickly how he and Hermione had met and gone to the house.

"I also take it that you found the Horcrux there?" Lupin glanced at his hand.

Harry realized he clung to the box that carried the locket and, in fact, it was still grasped in his hand. He was so surprised at Lupin's question his mouth dropped and he twisted his head to look at Ron.

"Yeah, I told them Harry," Ron said sheepishly. "It was time they knew. Voldemort is really strong and with what's happening right now someone had to know that attacking him would mean disaster."

Hermione frowned slightly and then, after a moments contemplation, nodded in agreement. "It's for the best, Harry. Now you can get help to destroy that thing." She was also looking at the box.

Harry swung his feet to the floor, checked to make sure his stomach was in good working order and laid the box on a table. He had been thinking about his mother's diary that he had left behind and not the locket. Now he looked at them and they were all either staring back or looking at the box.

"Who do you suppose left it there for me to find...or whoever to find?" he asked almost to himself. He reached over and opened the case once again and there was a collective holding of breaths and he glanced up and said, "It' supposed to be okay now. At least...if Ron told you everything, then the person who left the note in the other locket, said it was clean."'

Lupin looked over and nodded. "That's it. That's the one I took to Bird." He shook his head once again as if amazed. "Let's not push our luck Harry. Let's put it in a safe place for now until we have more information. Alright with you?"

Harry nodded and watched as Lupin removed his wand, waved it and the box was transfigured into piece of statuary that he levitated to the fireplace mantel. He smiled briefly at Harry. "Best to hide it out in the open wouldn't you say?"

An hour later after talking to Ron and Hermione in private Harry returned to the sitting room hoping to find Lupin alone. He was in luck, the Weasleys were in the kitchen and Lupin was going over a massive array of parchments laying on a desk.

"Harry?" he looked up as he entered.

"Professor Lupin," Harry began.

Lupin laughed and stood. "Harry, don't you think it's time you call me, Remus. I'm hardly a teacher now and its a bit formal to call me anything else. Besides I consider myself your friend."

"Alright, Remus," Harry nodded. "Can we talk?"

"Absolutely, Harry. Have a seat."

"I have a feeling that what you and the others want to do is find a way to keep me safe and away from everything that's happening." Harry said it and studied the man across the mountain of papers and books. He grasped his hands together in earnest and looked Lupin directly in the eyes. "Just being in this house reminds me of what happened to Sirius. You can't lock me up and keep me safe; not like what Dumbledore tried to do to Sirius.. Voldemort wants me and he'll hunt down everyone I care about and kill them or torture them until he gets to me."

Remus stare at him and leaned back in his chair. "You may be right, Harry. Learning about the Horcruxes really presented an unexpected problem. He was strong before when he rose up seventeen years ago and there were more of us then. Many of my friends, people that were there before are now being sought out and harassed if not locked up at Azkaban. The Ministry is playing a hand in it because it seems they have been taken over already. Now with this...this additional problem I don't know how we can defeat him." He shook his head and he looked exhausted as he laid a hand on the papers in front of him and looked down at them. He tried a weak smile when he glanced up, "However, there are three Horcruxes that are destroyed, that's IF the locket holds no power any longer. I guess that is something we can be grateful for."

"Prof...Remus," Harry stuttered. "Do you know how to destroy them? If we find the other object and have a chance at finding the cup and meeting up with the snake- his snake, do you know how to destroy them?"

Lupin once again looked at the papers. "I asked someone to bring me these documents. They come from a monastery in the Carpathian mountains. They are ancient and few know about them. It's very likely that some of what Voldemort learned about Horcruxes he got from these. I had to buy them Harry, with money that I would have used to release our friends from Azkaban; to bribe the guards and so on. It was money I that I got from selling off things from this house." Lupin's eyes watched him carefully. "I am aware that you own the house Harry."

"I don't care about this house or the things in it or even the money except that I promised my aunt and uncle half of everything I inherited. As far as I'm concerned you can sell everything you lay your hands on."

Lupin smiled again and nodded. "Well we shall see. I do feel better after asking your permission and I think I will be a little more cautious now." He glanced at the statue on the mantle and smiled again. He stared at Harry for a minute and said," I'm not sure you understand just how much wealth there is; just how much you inherited. Anyway, these documents and books may help me discover the secret to destroying Horcruxes but I will need time to go over them. I know very little about that kind of dark magic."

"Could Hermione help?" Harry asked, suddenly enthusiastic.. "She reads every book that she comes across. She'd even have them memorized if you let her." He was looking at the old documents and the diagrams and old pictures on some of them.

Remus nodded and sighed heavily, "Good suggestion, Harry. It would be a great help and save me a lot of valuable time. Again we'll have to be cautious. However, I don't think that this is what you wanted to talk to me about, is it?"

Harry took a deep breath and shook his head and said, "I want to be able to fight, to work with the Order to bring Voldemort down and to find...Snape. I don't want or need someone... to watch over me. I don't want to be a prisoner either. Voldemort's practically made me one my whole life and I just don't think I could stand it if my friends, if you tried to do that to me."

Lupin's eyes narrowed and his jaw tightened. " Yes, I understand. I am not without sympathy, Harry. But I cannot...will not treat you the way Dumbledore did. I care about you Harry and I don't want to see your life endangered without good cause." He raised his hand as he saw Harry about to protest. "I'm not saying Dumbledore didn't have good cause. It's just that it was so unconscionable for him to involve you in this hunt. Anyway, I will try and respect your wishes. I am now in charge of the Order and I must insist that you have protection not only from Voldemort and the Death Eaters but also from Ministry wizards. We can't be sure who is on our side." He waited once again and watched him warily, "Was there anything else?"

Harry nodded slowly. "Yes. I need someone to go back to Godric's Hollow and retrieve something for me. My aunt had something that belonged to my mother and she gave it to me before I left. It was a diary and I hid it in the Inn."

"A diary?" Remus exclaimed in surprise. "Really!"

"I haven't looked at it yet. I hid it away and then we went looking for the house. I want to get it of course." Harry leaned forward and contemplated what he was going to say. He had thought about it for a long time and decided that if he was going to confide in anyone it would be his parent's last remaining friend. "Dumbledore told me something. No one knows about this, not Ron or Hermione; no one. It's the reason that you can't keep me out of this war." He told him, then, about the prophecy and how he had learned that it had been Snape that had overheard it. He told him how Trelawney had let slip that it was Snape and that he had gone charging into confront Dumbledore; that he had been angry with Dumbledore just before they had left to find the locket in the cave.

Suddenly the heartache hit him like a fist in the chest. He realized that he had been angry with Dumbledore and they had not reconciled before the end of that horrible night when Dumbledore had saved his life and his own had been taken. He felt his chin quiver as he tried to say the words and the pain in his heart was so great that he grasped the chair and had to stop before he found himself breaking into sobs.

Lupin was leaning forward in his chair and was shaking his head, also overwhelmed; but not by grief by more bad news. "Harry...Harry," he stopped and put his hand on his arm. "What a life you have had! I'm sorry that this has been put on your shoulders. I think what you need to understand is that no prophecy we know of is completely accurate and this one is...to say the least...vague."

Harry nodded and swallowed hard. "Dumbledore tried to explain that to me. The truth is I want to be the one to kill him. It's my right. He murdered my parents and...and Dumbledore says that when he tried to kill me he shared some part of himself with me. That's why my scar hurts when he's near. That's why I was possessed by his snake and I can speak parseltongue like he does. There must be some advantage we can make of that."

"Yes...yes," Lupin said quietly. "Perhaps. For now we must organize and plan and think about what to do. I'll send Minerva...Professor McGonagall to fetch the diary," he smiled slightly. "You know," he stopped and rubbed his face looking slightly nervous. "There may be things in that journal that ...that are difficult to understand. After all Harry, you are looking at your mother's memories and thoughts."

Harry nodded. "Diaries are private, I understand that and I wouldn't ever dream of reading it if she were alive. It's the last thing I have of hers Remus; her words and her thoughts. Can you understand that I need to have her close to me right now?"

Lupin stared at him sympathetically and patted his knee. "Yes...yes of course. I understand completely."

"There is something else," Harry began.

Lupin looked wary as if he couldn't tolerate any more bad news.

Harry understood immediately and responded, "No, it's nothing more that I've kept from you. I think you know it all now." He stopped and thought of his aunt's last words; what she had said about something being in the Gringott's vault and then decided that it wasn't important for the moment. He also did not say anything about his intended visit with Slughorn coming up in a few days. He continued, " It's just that I thought maybe you could tell me more about my parents since you knew them so well. Maybe you could tell me about what happened back then when Voldemort tried to take over the first time."

Lupin was silent for a long time and then nodded briefly. "Let's get a cup a tea and get Hermione started on these dusty old books and then we can chat for a short time. I need to send word to Minerva to fetch your mum's book. I have a few other things that need to be taken care of as well. Let's plan for, say, an hour after supper."

Harry agreed and left the room feeling like his load had been lightened. Lupin watched him leave the room and sat back in his chair looking defeated.

Arthur Weasley stepped into the room and sat down in a chair nearby. They stared at each other for a moment and Arthur shifted uneasily and murmured, "Couldn't help but overhear some of it, Remus. Do you suppose Lily would have written anything in that diary about...well... about Snape? Do you think she would have written about what happened?"

Remus frowned. "She would have been discreet if she did. Harry would never uncover a encryption if she used one; she was too good at using charms. That's also why I think Minerva can fetch it for me and we can have a look at it before he sees it."

"If he finds out that you've done that he'll be furious and he'll lose his trust in you," Arthur Weasley said. "Are you sure you want to risk it? Really Remus, the boy has so few of us to turn to. I know he's strong-headed like his father and heaven knows Albus invited disaster when he took him along." Arthur sighed and shook his head, "Don't take this wrong, but we both know he'll plunge ahead and I'm afraid he'll take Ron and Hermione with him. They are so young. They don't have the foggiest..." His voice drifted off.

Lupin looked at him and rubbed his face again in frustration. "I care about Harry. Probably more than I've cared about anything for years. It's not just because he's their son. Given a change in circumstances I could have easily been his godfather and you know it. It'll be tough if he knows what I did back then, but I can face him about it and not feel shame. I did what I had to do. Really Arthur, sometimes the past is hard to forget and it certainly is when it raises its head in the present. However we have to give Harry some credit. He has faced Voldemort more times then most of us care to count and he's lived through it. There is something about him, about that scar that we don't understand. Perhaps Albus did but he's no longer able to tell us. For now let's watch Harry and try and sort this all out."

"I'll have a word with Armando," Arthur said. He was referring to one of the Department of Law Enforcement Aurors that still remained in the Ministry and loyal to the good side. "Let's see if we can find Tonks. She's not at Azkaban and she's not reported in. I know that you're concerned..."

"Arthur, I appreciate that," Lupin said quickly. "I want you to know that. I also want you to know I would not put my feelings for her ahead of the needs of the Order."

"No...no, of course not," Arthur Weasley said and stood, "I trust you...we trust you completely, Remus. We all like Tonks and if we know that she is safe all for the better don't you think? For now let me take care of that. I need something to do besides look after my family."

Lupin nodded. "Yes, if you will. In the meantime, I'll send for Minerva and we'll check out Lily's diary." He shook his head.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six Lupin's Memory

It was later in the afternoon and Harry sat down with the Weasley family for dinner. He was surprised that Lupin was not present. He explained to Hermione that Lupin needed her help with the documents and so in her haste to get to them, she had taken her dinner in the sitting room. All that was left were Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ron, Ginny, Bill and Fleure. Fleure kept the company busy with her comments about a wedding that might or might not take place and Harry had the pleasure of talking quietly to Ginny. Ron worked at keeping his parents attention away from their tête-à-tête.

It was only after supper when Harry entered the sitting room that he became mildly anxious. Lupin had either forgotten his promise or ignored it. Instead of Lupin, McGonagall was sitting in a chair talking to Hermione who was buried in books and was covered with their dust.

When he entered McGonagall looked up and rose to her feet.

"Professor," he began.

"No questions, Potter," she said quickly. "I am to escort you tonight. Remus will be waiting to meet you there."

"What about my mum's diary?" he asked before she could interrupt.

"We have it. I have given it to Remus and he will discuss that matter with you privately." She was now looking a little more sternly at him and he glanced once at Hermione who looked up briefly and then bent her head to the parchments sprawled out in front of her.

_No help from that quarter_, he thought. "Alright," he muttered defiantly.

McGonagall nodded and led the way through the hall to the foyer and the front door. She raised her wand to remove the charms on the door. "I understand that you are not allowed to apparate yet on your own so I shall assist you." She waited for his nod. "Good. If we become separated then return here immediately. Don't use magic if you can help it Potter. If it becomes necessary, then and only then, do so. Remember that the Ministry will also be looking for you. It is wise not to have to deal with them either." She waited and again received his nod. "Very well, we're going to step out and go down the stairs to the street."

They stepped out into the summer night and Harry had a chance to see that there was a half moon and that the sky was completely clear. There was barely enough light to see by but not dangerously so. The streets were empty and there was no one to watch their sudden disappearance on the street in front of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

"Where...?" Harry began and McGonagall shook her head. He followed her to the curb. She rested her hand on his arm and they disapparated.

-------------------------

Tonks followed the Death Eater out of the Crabtree Inn, a place not far from the village of Little Hangleton. The Death Eaters had taken to wearing black cloaks even in summer and masks- eerie white death masks-, or green scarves over their mouths and noses. She had seen many Ministry wizards, even some of her own colleagues, who had passed the wizards in black and had ignored them or hurried by as if afraid to confront them. It infuriated her each time she witnessed it and also frightened her as she recognized the extent of Voldemort's reach.

This particular wizard was acting strangely even for a Death Eater. Although, he wore the requisite black cloak and had covered his face in a green silk scarf, he avoided acting like the others. He wasn't acted arrogantly, striding into shops and demanding free merchandise, or harassing citizenry for the fun of it. He did not walk the main street and have people shy away from him in fear. Nor did he stop to talk to another Death Eater wherever they were gathered. Although people did treat him out of deference when they met, he kept to himself and walked the back streets. He stayed in a shabby, rundown inn and left only in the dark.

It was now evening and the sun was setting later and later as spring lengthened into summer. The July days were warmer, the trees had leaves and the grass was green. The evening rain showers were less frequent, the streets were dry and the air warm.. Even so, there were fewer people out enjoying the evening air and entertainment at the outside cafes. There were no longer garden parties with bright fairies dancing through the fragrant blossoms of little orchards, nor were there impromptu Quidditch matches. People were afraid and the atmosphere was more of winter, doom and gloom. It was particularly frightening when folks stepped out to fetch a pint from the local pub and they ran into a stray Dementor or werewolves prowling in packs.

Tonks noticed that the man ahead of her was keeping to the shadows. This time the hood of his cloak covered his head and she didn't see the green scarf or the mask. This time he walked with determination. It was clear he was afraid of ambush or of someone following him as he would stop frequently, glance around and retrace his steps to check his back-trail. Tonks took care to change her appearance frequently, to follow at a distance- sometimes creeping along on rooftops to watch the figure below.

She was impressed with his stealth and cunning. She had been trained rigorously as an Auror and yet it took all of her knowledge and skill to avoid his detection. She checked the object in her hand once again. If he disapparated, it was the only thing that would allow her to track him further. It would follow the shadow, the essence of his energy that he left behind, and pick it up. It would guide her like a bloodhound to where he had apparated.

When he finally did disapparate, she arrived at the same destination many minutes after and it took some skill to once again locate him. However, she was grateful that she had kept the device before leaving the Ministry. Only certain Aurors were allowed to have them and they had been confiscated almost immediately after Dumbledore's death, something she often referred to in short-hand as 'AD'. (After Dumbledore). She knew that in Voldemort's hands it was a deadly device. He would be able to track wizards and witches and attempting to escape using that method would not save them from his clutches.

This particular evening she followed slightly closer to him then she had previously. He led her a merry chase all over Britain and now they strayed dangerously close to the village where Voldemort family had once lived. Tonks knew that if she could find Voldemort's headquarters it would be a great bonus to the Order of the Phoenix. She hoped that Remus was not worried to much about her and was concentrating on gathering people together to fight. Each time she saw another vampire out at night without the required legal restraints on their teeth, or werewolves running along country roads, she worried that things were getting out of hand very quickly and they might not be able to stop Voldemort at all.

She stopped at the tobacco and holistic potions shop and watched in astonishment as the man ahead of her crossed the cobbled street and met another wizard in the shadows of a building. She kept watching the area around her carefully. This was the district where Ministry Law Enforcement had been finding the bodies of witches and wizards horribly murdered and mutilated. She knew she was in a poor and rundown section of the village and that it was often the haunts of very dark wizards. It did not surprise her that the Death Eater was meeting someone in such a place. It did surprise her that he was meeting anyone at all.

She could not hear their voices but studied the shape and size of the wizard the Death Eater was talking to. The shape was very familiar but she could not place it. She watched as something was passed to the Death Eater and the other wizard seemed to be groveling slightly in a subservient way. He then broke away and almost ran down an alley and into the dark, except that he was quite portly and seemed to waddle rather than walk.

She saw him turn once_, probably out of fear that the Death Eater has drawn his wand and is about to strike him down, _she thought, although the Death Eater stood very still for only a moment and then vanished up the street. She was about to step out and follow the wizard when a strong hand covered her mouth and one wrapped around her throat. She was lifted off her feet by the presence that had seized her. Her one thought was; _Remus will worry so_.

-----------------------------------------

Harry apparated on the grounds of a cemetery alongside McGonagall. The area was very much like a garden with large ancient trees shading the ancient stones that stood as sentinels throughout. Ghosts wandered through the stones and some even moaned or groaned as they passed. Harry ignored them and studied the area.

McGonagall put a finger to her lips and pointed towards the center. "I will keep watch, Potter," she murmured quietly and waved her hand toward the wide lane that cut the garden into two. "Go."

Harry followed the paved lane that led towards a large mausoleum and circled around both sides of it. He followed the white crushed stones of the path in the dim light until he came to the marble mausoleum. Not knowing what direction to take he paused and a figure emerged from around the marble building. Harry's hand rested on his wand and he was about to raise it when he heard Lupin's voice.

"It's alright Harry. It's me," Lupin said quietly.

"Remus," Harry breathed with relief.

"Yes. Come sit here on this bench," Lupin said and gestured at the stone bench before the mausoleum.

Harry complied and then looked up expectantly into Lupin's face. He could barely make out his features. "Professor McGonagall said that you have my mum's diary." He was curious as to why they were meeting in such a place, and was about to ask when Lupin spoke.

"Harry, I've brought you here for a reason. It is risky to have you out in the open but I think important. I do have the diary. Before I give it to you I want to tell you a story. I have brought you here because it is a backdrop to my story." Lupin sat down beside him.

"A cemetery?" Harry said quietly till very much puzzled.

Lupin nodded. "Yes, a cemetery. Harry have you ever wondered why you have no relatives? He had aunts and uncles and cousins. What about Sirius and some of the other people you know about? Do you ever wonder what happened to them?"

Harry studied the mausoleum before him. The white marble was in shadow from a large overhanging tree. Remus nodded, raised his wand and said, "LUMOS" very quietly. The faint light glimmered briefly before he said, "Nox." The stone was engraved with the words: POTTER

"Shall we go in Harry?" Lupin asked.

Harry looked at the large stone structure with the metal doors and windows in them of colored glass. He swallowed hard and nodded.

Together they stepped to the doors and Lupin pushed one open. They walked inside a crypt where there was a stone seat sitting under a stain glass window at the back of the small stone building. The walls were lined with niches for the coffins and marble covered each opening, each engraved with names.

Lupin lit a candelabra and stepped over to the wall. Harry read the names of his parents and above these were the names of his people he assumed were his grandparents.

"Have a seat, Harry," Lupin once more gestured to a small bench. There was a small marble bench that sat before each wall.

Harry sat down, almost speechless. His feelings were overwhelming and he didn't dare speak out of fear that it might come out as a sob. He wasn't expecting to see his parent's grave site and it frightened and saddened him.

Lupin touched the stone covering each niche with his fingertips, holding the candles up so that he could read the names. "James was like a brother to me. I loved him. And I loved your mother too. She was a wonderful woman." He turned to him. "People died too soon by Voldemort's hands or by his Death Eaters. It was very much like it is now. It is beginning all over again; people have gone missing, found dead. However, we now have a better idea about who is the cause of it all then we did then."

He turned back and said, "James was outspoken you see, brash perhaps, as he often was. But this time it wasn't about silly immature school issues, it was about Lily and about her being muggle-born. She was a target, as were all muggle-born. They were disappearing and dying at an alarming rate and at the time we did not have any idea who was doing such horrible things. And, the truth is, if people knew they didn't talk about it. Dumbledore had invited several of us to work with him to fight it. He formed the Order of the Phoenix and Lily was the first to join. He followed her, and then Sirius and few others and then me. For a short time that was what she was doing, working for the Order. One night..." Lupin stopped speaking, paced before the wall of names, studying them once again. " One night, James was called home. He was in training. He had been chosen as a Chaser for the Wigtown Wanderers and gone off to train with them. He was just out of school as we all were so you were not a thought in anyone's mind at that time." Lupin turned and smiled wanly at him.

"My father didn't work?" Harry asked in a soft voice.

Lupin frowned slightly and shook his head in surprise amazed at how little Harry knew about his parents. "The Potter's were very rich; like the Blacks. However, your grandfather was an inventor." Remus held the candles up to the stone that read William James Potter and his birth and death date were etched below. "He earned his money fairly, not like Sirius' father." Lupin lowered the candles and remained silent. "

Harry cleared his throat, sorry that he had interrupted the man's train of thoughts. "Go on Remus," he urged.

"Oh, yes," Lupin started as if he'd been lost in thought. "Well... James was called home. He and Lily had only been married a short time and she went missing."

"Missing?"!" Harry barked. "What'd you mean missing?"

Lupin stopped and frowned and then continued slowly, "You must keep calm and let me tell this Harry. It is not easy for me to go back and remember this."

Harry studied the man's face and took a breath. He could feel his heart pounding furiously in his chest_. It' s almost like having a bad dream and realizing that your awake, _he decided. And yet, he knew that it was not a dream, it had been real and it had happened a long time ago. He shuddered involuntarily, knowing that what he was going to hear was not going to be good. "Go ahead, sorry," he mumbled.

Lupin nodded. "Your mother worked diligently to help others like herself. I think that she had been rejected by someone in her family, much like Sirius had and they had a mutual understanding of such things. They helped each other out. We all remained close even after we left Hogwarts and you must remember we weren't much older than you are now. Anyway, her 'work' which many would call a sort of resistance or underground, drew attention to her. There had always been issues in the wizarding community concerning half-bloods and muggle-born as people who had inferior magical skills, and who later, because of Voldemort and his influence, BECAME inferior witches and wizards."

Harry huffed at this in fury and Lupin nodded sympathetically.

"Your mother was even more vehement then you about the subject. She had experienced that kind of prejudice in her own family, by-I understand- her sister, your aunt. And I guess it was in reverse. Your aunt disliked her because she had magical abilities." Lupin shook his head and sighed heavily. "So...she went missing."

Harry waited patiently and watched Lupin. He seemed to be struggling with something and Harry bit his lip to keep from asking another question.

Finally Lupin sat the candelabra on a small shelf and leaned against the crypt wall. "James was beside himself, as you can understand. He asked for our help, Sirius and me. I lived on the fringes of society, Harry. Your father and mother did what they could to involve me, to always make me feel 'normal'." Lupin once again attempted a smile. "But they could not live my life for me and there are many who feel we are no longer human and therefore are even more defiled then a muggle-born." He shook his head. "That is beside the point. The point being, that I went looking for her, as did Sirius and your father. We were horribly afraid for her."

Lupin put his fingers to his lips as if trying to regain some control and Harry could see a glistening in his eyes in the faint candlelight.

"I went to the only person I knew that might be able to help. I went because time was of the essence. I went to Severus Snape."

Harry leapt to his feet and almost snarled, "Snape!"

Lupin's eyes drifted to him and his hand dropped to his side. "Your mother had been kind to Snape even though he had been cruel to her on several occasions. However, not so cruel as to not be able to leave her alone. He followed her from a distance, watched her- stalked her every move. He would not leave her alone no matter what James said or what Sirius did."

"What?" Harry groaned in anger.

Lupin nodded. "I think that he cared for her in his own way. Severus is not, did not have an easy life. He was jealous of your father and his abilities, his flair, his popularity at school, his close family: but Severus loved your mother. He wrote letters to her, found reasons to run into her and...ahh Harry!" Lupin dropped his head and shook it slowly. "That's not important. I just don't want you to be surprised when you read her diary."

"You've read it?!" Harry gasped in shock and then rose to his feet again in anger. "Why would you do that?"

"I have read parts of it. Let's just say it was for security purposes. What IS important is that Severus was connected to Voldemort." He raised his head and looked at Harry squarely once again, " Should I proceed or should we discuss the fact that I read it first before giving it to you. I told you Harry I would not treat you like Dumbledore did. I respect the fact that you are becoming an adult, however, you are still immature. There are some things that you are not ready for. I am going to make a decision about what I can trust you with based on your reaction to what I am about to tell you."

Harry stepped back and ground his teeth in anger. He remained silent.

Lupin nodded. "I would never do this to you Harry but you must respect the fact that we are all in trouble and I have a duty to make the best decisions possible right now. I promised you this morning that I would give you a lot of freedom and you shall have more when you turn seventeen. Right now you are defenseless against a number of dangers and you need to trust me."

"I would trust you Remus if you would trust me," Harry said between his gritted teeth. "I'm not stupid or incompetent. I can take care of myself."

"I am aware of it," Lupin said quietly and gently. "Was I not the one who told you that you were turning into a powerful wizard? Was I not the one who taught you the Patronus Charm? Harry, I am not your enemy. I am trying to be careful. I am not going to apologize for reading her diary. But I may have to apologize to you for what I am about to tell you. May I proceed?" He looked at Harry with a worried almost pleading look.

Harry sat down again and grasped his hands before him. He struggled for calmness and patience.

Lupin continued, "I was not aware that Snape was serving Voldemort at the time . I only knew that he was involved in studying the dark arts and had been a protégé of Lucius Malfoy's. Malfoy was not much older than he was and the two families were close. I knew that the Malfoys were a pureblood family involved in everything to do with ridding the wizarding world of impurity and that if anyone knew anything about a missing muggle-born, in particular this missing muggle-born, it would be Snape."

Harry found that he was holding his breath; his mind whirling furiously. _Snape had watched his mother, followed her, cared for her_! It was almost more then he could bare to listen to and yet he stared at Lupin without blinking, willing him to continue.

"... and Snape owed your father a favor. James saved his life. I thought I could use it as a bargaining chip," Lupin said softly.

"Did he know where she was?" Harry asked softly.

Lupin nodded and answered, "Yes."

"What did he want?" Harry asked so softly that if they had not been sitting in a crypt where the sound echoed off the walls Lupin would not have heard.

Lupin stopped his pacing and turned to him." What?"

Harry stood again and this time stepped over to him. "Snape would have wanted something in return for telling you her whereabouts. He wouldn't have told you just because you asked." He remembered the Pensieve and seeing what his father, Sirius and Lupin had done to Snape. He knew that Remus would ask and he also knew that Snape would take advantage of the situation, take advantage of the fact that his enemies needed him.

Lupin seemed paler in the wan candlelight. His gray eyes searched Harry's face and then he stepped back and put his face in shadow. "Yes, he did want something."

-------------------------------

Tonks choked back a laugh when she heard the voice at her ear.

"You must learn to be more cautious and watch your back," Mad-Eye Moody grunted in her ear.

He let her down gently and she turned to him and whispered, "I thought you were in Azkaban."

"Azkaban can't hold an old leper like me," Moody snapped. "Remus bribed a few guards and they shook a few of us loose. Gettin' bad it is. Now who is it you be followin' gal?"

Tonks turned quickly and saw the empty street and shrugged tiredly. "Death Eater. I don't know who it is. He just had a meeting and then disapparated. I've been following him now for several weeks. Hoped he'd lead me to You-Know-Who."

Moody grunted again and pulled open the fist that clenched the device. "Gotta ya one them I see. Good girl. Let's go find yer Death Eater and 'ave a talk shall we?"

Tonks nodded, glad to have an experienced Auror, especially one like Moody with her.

"Jus' a mo' to send a little message," Moody said. He took his wand and wrote in golden letters in the sky: _Tonks and me together-Moody_. Then he waved his wand and blew at the words like a child blowing the head of a dandelion and the words were swept off into the air and vanished.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter Seven

Snape sat at the table in a dilapidated room just above Knockturn Alley. He did not feel safe there, did not feel safe anywhere, but knew that the residents of Knockturn Alley would keep their noses out of his business. Death Eaters were in abundance in the Alley as well as their servants. He did not fear running into one of them as much as he feared running into a Ministry wizard and having to fight them. He didn't want to have to kill one.

He was also content that he at last had managed to escape Tonks. She had been a pest in following him although he was sure she did not know who he was. He did not want to kill her and so had gone out of his way to avoid a confrontation where his hand might be forced. Still she had been persistent and had persevered and he had grown tired of his shadow.

He also knew that she worked for the Order and not the Ministry and more than likely for Lupin. He grimaced, shut his eyes to rest them and put his black-booted feet on the dusty and lumpy bed. He did not need to continue to look at the object that sat on the table. It burned a hole in his mind and seemed to have its own life. He deeply desired to reach for it and break it in two pieces and yet dared not touch it bare-handed. It was enough to have it nearby, covered and in his hands at last. The next task would be much harder; the task of destroying the sixth Horcrux.

---------------------

Harry stared at Lupin. The crypt was chilly even for such a warm summer evening and it was beginning to feel close; the air musty and dead like its occupants. "What did you give him in exchange for my mother?" he finally asked.

"Will you sit?" Lupin asked politely and gestured once more at the bench.

Harry waited for a moment and then relented, finding the cold of the marble rising up his back and making him shiver slightly.

"I will tell you if you'll hear me to the end," Remus said gently and waited for Harry's assuring nod. "Very well." he paused. "He asked that I leave and not return." He raised a hand as Harry opened his mouth to speak. "No questions, if you please." Again he waited and Harry frowned and nodded once. "You see Harry I loved your mother, too. I think I felt that way long before James even noticed her and there were many reasons for it. She was a wonderful person. However, I knew that I could not approach her...could never hope... well, I am who I am and I was satisfied to remain in the background." He ran his hand along the surface of the cold marble over her name and Harry watched in fascination.

Remus continued, "Snape knew it and wanted me out of the way. I think he felt that he could ultimately win her affections given enough time and without competitors; even though she was married. Who knows what is in the heart and mind of a man." He stopped took a breath and turned. "So I agreed. In my estimation it was a small sacrifice to save your mother."

"And so, we made a deal. I understand that she refused to be rescued," Lupin said laughing sadly. He talked as if he were alone. Tears again filled his eyes and he dropped his head. "She insisted that Snape leave Voldemort's service and join the Order. She made him take a vow obliging him to the Order and in effect saved his life." Lupin shook his head with the memory and looked up

Harry watched him and then looked down at his own hands in the semi-darkness.

"I agreed and it was done," Lupin said. "I left immediately. I did what he asked and I abandoned them. She didn't know; James didn't, Sirius...no one knew. I thought it was a simple thing, but I was later to realize just what it meant. After their deaths, I haunted the hill above the house at Godric's Hollow. It helped me to get through the dark night and then morning would come and I would live through my betrayal all over again. I left them to their fate when I had sworn as a member of the Order... as a friend... that I would be there for them. I had left them to die."

Thoughts were racing through Harry's mind. _They were rivals for his mother, both loved her! Lupin would have left and his mother and father would have thought that he ran out on them. They would never knew what a sacrifice he made._

"Why does he hate me?" Harry mumbled, unsure of what he wanted to ask, or indeed, even what he wanted from the man.

Lupin sniffed slightly in the dark and answered, " I think that when Lily got pregnant it represented his defeat. He knew that he could never win her over."

Harry thought that over and then went back to something else he'd heard. "Snape became a member of the Order?" Harry asked bluntly in disbelief.

"Yes. Severus did what Lily asked of him. I think Dumbledore was absolutely right, I think Snape felt great remorse when Voldemort killed her. He had no idea that telling Voldemort the prophecy would result in her death. I imagine it was devastating to him."

"If he cared about her why would he betray her?" Harry asked feeling his own voice quiver.

Lupin shook his head. "I don't know. Perhaps he thought she could be saved. Her life was offered to her you know. I don't know if he even considered the fact that she would die for you. Single-mindedness Harry, I believe he thought of nothing else but her and did not understand that she loved her husband and her child. I think he thought that if everyone was gone she would turn to him. " Lupin leaned against the wall and held himself almost as if his pain was physical.

Harry felt tears running down his face and he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Lupin again straightened and looked at Harry. "I'm not asking you to forgive me for running out on my friends," he began. "I came back to Hogwarts because of you, because I had to see you. Albus told me you were like them...like your mum and dad. But he was wrong. You are more than that, Harry. You're a wonderful person. You might not trust me after this. You might think that I'll leave you. I promise you, if it means my life I will not abandon you. I ask that you forgive me or try and understand if I am overprotective of you."

Harry quickly wiped the wetness from his face and looked up. He ignored the plea and said, "I'm still going to kill him... Snape. Nothing you have said makes a difference."

Lupin frowned slightly and nodded, "I understand Harry but you need to hear me; I do not believe that Snape killed Albus. He loved him. And besides that he swore an oath to the Order; just as I did. We were sworn to protect the other members of the Order or give up our lives in doing so. If Snape had killed Albus, he would have died instantly."

Harry stared up in surprise. "I was there. I saw it."

Lupin nodded, "I know what you saw and I believe you. I have no explanation for it."

They sat in silence until a golden bead of light zoomed in through the open door and hovered in front of Remus' face. It was then that Harry could see the great sadness still written there.

"RECITO," Remus said softly and the small bead spread out before him and revealed a message. He read it and gave a soft huff of relief. "Good!"

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"A message, " Lupin said and walked to the door and on his way he laid the leather-bound book on the bench at Harry's side. "I imagine you want a moment. I'm going to speak to McGonagal. I'll be back."

Harry sat looking at the marble wall before him and not glance down at the diary at his side. His thoughts were about his mother and father and how they must have felt when they had lost their friend. Remus had disappeared without a word and left them. His mother had gotten away only to give her life up for him and Snape had helped her escape but had exacted a terrible price to do it.

He swallowed hard and looked down at the floor. All of it was so hard to think about and he wasn't sure what he wanted or needed to do.

--------------------------------

Snape appeared to be asleep but was wide awake and thinking. He wasn't sure if Lupin knew about the Horcruxes but thought the Potter boy probably did.

_Albus you told him, I know you did, _he thought. _How much does he know? Does he know what the objects are and where they are? _Such questions kept him occupied as he rested. He could hear the customers in the pub below his room and yet could concentrate on the many issues that he was sorting through. He was even able to hear the faint footsteps in the hall. There were two people moving and they were trying to be stealthy. One had a faint clunk for one step and a soft padding for the other.

_Moody is that you?_ he thought and opened his eyes_. Did you join, Tonks? _He rose slowly and threw a green scarf over the object on the table and stepped to the door. _It's about time you joined me, I left you enough clues. He stood at the door with his wand ready._


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter Eight The Deal

Harry sat until the candles sputtered and went out with a soft summer breeze that drifted into the open door. He picked up the diary determined to not part with it ever again although he was not sure he could bring himself to read it. His mother might have written about Lupin's disappearance in their time of need, she may have guessed about how she managed to escape Voldemort's clutches or any number of other things. Harry wasn't ready to learn about them until he had digested what Lupin had just told him.

It was McGonagall's voice that he heard not Lupin's fifteen minutes later.

"Harry," she whispered fervently.

He stood and walked to the door immediately. There was a tone in her voice that sounded urgent. "Where's Remus?" he asked.

"No time," she whispered and turned to stand in front of him at the entrance to the crypt. She was just a hair taller than he and he could not see around her. "We must apparate now." She reached back and took his arm and he once again felt the familiar tight squeezing sensation. They apparated a few blocks from the street of Grimmauld Place and she pushed him immediately into a dark corner and away from a street lamp.

"Professor?" he whispered to her aware that he needed to be quiet. "What is it?"

She had her wand up and was studying the streets around them. This was a residential area of flats and small houses that rubbed shoulders with each other. There were few alleys or areas where they might be trapped. Warm inviting lights shone from windows and there was no traffic on the street.

"We are being followed, although I don't know how that is possible,"' she shook her head and glanced at him. "Lupin was called away. There was a message from Tonks and Moody."

Harry raised an eyebrow. he had many questions but doubted she would answer them. He tried nevertheless, "Professor, is Tonks safe? Where is she do you know?"

McGonagall took his arm and they started up the street. She bent and hobbled very much like a very old grandmother and he understood immediately that it was a way to disguise them. They would look like a young man helping his old granny to walk along the street.

"Potter, if something happens and we are attacked, apparate to Hogsmeade and find a Hagrid. He'll keep you safe." She touched him with her wand as they walked and he found that his wizarding clothes had been transfigured into everyday muggle clothes; he also felt a little shorter and he would have guessed that his hair was a different color. To his amazement she also transformed herself into a dowdy gray-headed lumpy woman in a muggle frock. She carried a large oversized handbag and an umbrella.

Her behavior made him nervous and he looked back over his shoulder into the dim light of evening. There were no figures following them and he didn't sense the cold dread that preceded Dementors.

They moved quickly until they came to a street lamp and then slowed and walked through the light.

"Why didn't we just go to the house?" Harry whispered.

"It's not protected well enough. Albus was the secret keeper and the Fidelius charm is no longer effective," she replied and gripped his arm a little harder. "Perhaps that needs to be rectified soon."

"Is Remus all right?" he asked. He suddenly realized that he had not responded to Lupin's story, had not told him that he didn't need forgiving, that he understood what he had done to save his mother's life. Harry felt queasy at the thought that Lupin might be in danger; could even be killed and his parent's last friend would die not knowing how he felt.

McGonagall shrugged. "How am I to know, Potter. We are all in danger these days."

"Professor McGonagall." The voice was smooth and oily. They both stopped.

Harry knew instantly who it was. McGonagall squeezed his arm, "Go!" she whispered. He disapparated, feeling, as he did, a sense of rage and helplessness at leaving her in the hands of Lucius Malfoy.

---------------------

The light through the crack in the door was so dim it was impossible to make out who was in the hallway other than that there were two figures. Snape waited expectantly. He could wait a very long time and had many times; he was patient.

_He had to give them credit_, he decided, _they were being very stealthy_. Though he could leave at any time, he had wanted this meeting, had engineered it.

He touched the door with his wand and it moved, almost as if it were melting and turning into smoke. A moment later he could peer through it, although it maintained the overall look of a solid door, it was still there. His spell had only made it transparent on his side. He could see one figure now moving along the wall and he nodded to himself. _Aurors are trained to do just that and they are never successful at sneaking up on anyone,_ he thought. _They have no imagination; their training is too crude. They can't hope to sneak up on me. Fools!_

"If you so much as take a deep breath, I will kill you instantly," Lupin said and stuck the wand behind Snape's ear for emphasis.

Snape looked straight ahead, mildly surprised and impressed. _Lupin! _

"Expelliarmus," Remus said and sent Snape's wand flying across the floor t the other side of the room. "So this is the rodent we have caught in the trap."

Snape narrowed his eyes and continued to stare through the door and out into the hallway. He knew better than to speak or move before Lupin allowed it. If the werewolf had been able to catch him unexpectedly then he was very good and Snape did not want to die at that moment.

"I am going to step back," Lupin said. "I want you to turn and put your back to that door. I will warn them that you are unarmed and they won't burst in and kill you on sight."

Snape dropped his head once to acknowledge he understood.

Remus stepped back and said, "Now."

Snape turned and put his hands out away from his side and leaned against the door.

"Moody, I have him," Remus said loudly. "Stay at the door and watch for anyone coming or going. Stay alert!"

"Humpf!...telling me to be alert," a growling voice mumbled through the door. "Stay alert he says!" It was clear Moody was insulted and yet he stood with his back to the other side of the door. It almost looked like Snape and Mad-Eye were back to back.

"Now," Remus said, and tipped his wand at Snape.

"Why don't you kill me, Lupin?" Severus asked and watched the man's eyes. He could always read a person through their eyes. And if he were unlucky he could use Legilimency. He knew Lupin knew it and watched the man's divert his eyes quickly.

"I want information," Lupin said and went on easily, "I should kill you; I have every reason to kill you and perhaps I shall eventually," Lupin said and glared at him. "I can't deny that seeing you everyday at Hogwarts was very difficult."

"You are whining," Snape said sarcastically. "Try being a man if that is at all possible. I did not force the choice you made upon you."

Lupin did not bristle as Snape expected. Instead, he nodded solemnly and said, " I made peace with myself many years ago, Severus. I succumbed to your extortion and left my friends. You didn't trick me into that decision, I knew what I was doing. Perhaps there was even a part of me that wanted to escape; to leave what I could not have. That is something you never learned did you, Severus?" Lupin smiled smugly and then said, "However, that is not the case now. I believe that I have the upper hand. it seems everyone, including the Ministry, would like to find you."

Snape nodded. He understood the man. "I did not kill Dumbledore."

Lupin nodded, "I am aware of it, although there are few others that would believe that. Severus, you are hiding in the disguise of a Death Eater. Does Voldemort know that your allegiances have once again changed?"

This time Snape knew Lupin was goading him. "They have never changed," Snape said. "I have kept my vow and I have worked for the Order from the beginning. Whether you believe it or not Lupin, I laid a trail for you to follow. You have not caught me."

Lupin nodded in agreement. "That may be, Severus. It hardly matters. There is no safe place for you unless I agree to take you back into the fold. And I have to persuade Harry that you did not kill Dumbledore. That may not be an easy thing to do."

"I may be the only chance you have of getting near the Dark Lord," Snape said, ignoring the issue of the Potter boy.

"I don't believe that, Severus," Lupin said and dangled his wand casually.

Snape watched and knew that if had wanted to, he could have relieved Lupin of the wand. He did, however, want what the werewolf was offering and decided it was time to bargain. "I have something you want," he said.

"Really?" Lupin raised his eyebrows in surprise and chuckled, "I can't imagine what that would be."

"Does the word Horcrux have any meaning to you?" Snape asked quietly and watched.

_Yes, it was there, _Severus thought. Lupin knew about the Horcruxes and he had caught him by was surprised.

"You want asylum," Lupin said nastily, "I can give it to you. I am now head of the Order. There is also something that you don't know about. I won't divulge that information to you until I have some assurances."

"Really? What information do you have that would interest me?" Snape asked conversationally, pretending disinterest. Lupin refused to answer and Snape knew that he would not have brought up such a thing idly. Lupin had something he would exchange for protection and Snape did not know what it was. He decided to bargain a little longer, "What assurances do you want?"

"I want you to vow to protect Harry at all costs, including sacrificing your life." Lupin smiled brightly." Small price to pay to live a little longer I think."

Snape glared at the werewolf and sat down in a chair. "What if I say no?"

"I will leave you here," Lupin shrugged. "I will pull them off." He nodded towards the door. "And in a very short time Ministry Aurors will have your address. They may even get to you before Voldemort does."

Severus sniffed and almost laughed out loud, except that he had long ago forgotten how to laugh. "Tonks and Mad-Eye?! I could have evaded her weeks ago."

"Weeks ago..." Lupin whispered quizzically.

"Yes," Snape caught the question unspoken on Lupin's lips. Dumbledore had died only days before and he had not been at Hogwarts. he was not prepared to tell Remus Lupin the details. "Lucius was at Hogwarts. He killed Dumbledore. His son was supposed to find a way for the Dark Lord to enter Hogwarts. Draco bungled an assassination attempt. His father stepped in at the last minute and killed Albus." Snape did not know, himself, why the Dark Lord would have set Draco such a difficult task as to try and kill such a powerful wizard as Albus Dumbledore, but he did not want this man to know.

"Harry was there. He was in his invisibility cloak and Albus put a spell on him and froze him to the spot. The boy witnessed you killing Albus."

It was Snape's turn to be surprised. "Nevertheless Lupin, Malfoy was there. He probably took Polyjuice potion or disguised himself in some way. He killed Albus."

Lupin nodded and pursed out his lips. "Voldemort is about to...no, he IS unleashing a nightmare. He will plunder this world of everything of value and leave nothing behind. He cares nothing about purebloods and their political aims; he's a half-blood himself, like you." Severus watched the gray eyes survey him. Lupin continued, "I think you care very little about what is going on; about how many people are hurt or murdered as he attempts to take control. He wants power. I don't know what else he thirsts or hungers for but we are all in trouble. I'm not sure what it is you care about, Severus, but I need your help to stop him. I won't deny it. "

Snape held his tongue and waited. He had little to bargain with if he turned over the Horcrux. He'd already handed them one to tempt them and bring them to him.

Lupin suddenly looked as wily as his nemesis the wolf. The teeth even seemed sharper when he spoke. "Harry's aunt had something I was not aware existed Severus. She had Lily's personal diary."

Snape felt his breath stop and his palms suddenly moisten. He hid the emotion very well and answered nonchalantly. "A diary?"

"Yes, Severus," Lupin continued. "Lily left a diary behind for her son. He has it in his possession now." Remus stood and carefully circled the small room and touched the surface of each piece of furniture.

Snape had taken care to hide the object he had previously set on the table. He watched as the man studied the area of disturbed dust. _He's intelligent enough to notice_, Snape thought and tried drawing him away by saying, "Have you read it?"

Lupin nodded and answered, "Some parts of it. I saw that she had written some things about you. It is encrypted, but I know the spell that unlocks it."

Snape knew the man was pushing, pouring salt in old wounds to see if he could force the issue. He also knew, that if it existed, he would sell his soul to the devil to look at the diary. His every waking moment was haunted by the memory of Lily Potter. His dreams had long ago been transformed into a vivid, almost realistic existence where he dreamed of them together. His imaginary world was a place where he could retreat and not deal with a world that rejected and hated him. He went to that place often.

It was all he could do to answer with a lie. "We are talking about a dead woman. What do I care if she wrote a diary and put my name in it? What you're asking me to do means sure death. The Dark Lord does not care if I live or die and will easily remove me if he finds out that am helping you."

"You've done the same for Albus for years," Remus said and ran his finger through the mark that showed where the object had sat. Snape watched him survey the room more carefully. Lupin knew the Horcrux was hidden.

"I will help you prove your innocence," Lupin said and turned to him, "Something you would not do for Sirius." The eyes had darkened now to one of the beast that hid within. "You let him languish in Azkaban for twelve years and did nothing."

Snape tried a laugh and it came out as a choked snarl. "Me?!" he snapped. "It was not I who left them all." He quickly raised a hand when Lupin looked like he was about to launch himself at him. "However...I will agree to your terms. I will give you the Horcrux for sanctuary at Grimmauld Place."

"You will help me destroy it?" Remus asked.

Snape nodded. "I will do what I can. I will also meet with the Dark Lord if it becomes necessary."

"You'll follow my orders?" Lupin asked.

Snape again nodded. "Yes."

"Without exception or excuse?"

"Yes."

"You agree to all the conditions?"

Snape waited a moment and then decided to pursue it. "I want to see the diary."

Lupin waited and then nodded. "I will ask Harry."

"He won't let me see it," Snape growled.

"He will if I ask," Lupin said. "In exchange you will make an Unbreakable Vow to protect him with your life."

Snape pondered the issue. He knew he could not have what he wanted without agreeing to this one point.

"Come now, Snape. It grows late and I am tired." Lupin sat on the edge of the bed and laid his hand on the lump beneath the covers.

_So you have found it_, Snape thought. Then, he thought of the Potter boy and felt the disgust he always felt when he saw or thought of the boy. He'd looked out into the crowd of children at Hogwarts day after day and he'd seen Potter, seen the green eyes looking back. They were the eyes of Lily and he hated the fact that they belonged to her son and not her. The child had lived and she was gone. And it was not his child, not their child. It was Potter's son and Harry Potter had robbed him of Lily.

"I'm leaving now," Lupin said and stood.

"I agree," Snape drawled. He knew that Lupin had finally turned the tables on him.

Lupin turned at the door, looking mildly surprised. "Very well. Apparate to Number Twelve Grimmauld Place in an hour and I will let you in. Bring the Horcrux with you."

"So that you can have everyone at the Order at the ready for me?" Snape asked.

"Trust me Snape," Lupin said and smiled. "Remember, I keep my word; I kept my word. I never came back as long as she lived." He turned and left and Snape watched him as he walked down the hallway with Mad-Eye Moody. Together they disappeared down the stairwell to the lower floor.

---------------------------

Harry apparated to Godric's Hollow instead of Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. It had been on his mind since he had listened to Lupin's story and he instantly thought of it instead of the other destination. He did not know that Voldemort stood at the boundary of the Forbidden Forest and looked up at the white citadel that he had longed to possess since the day he had entered it as a young boy. He was followed by his snake and the man who had joined him and had served him for many years, Peter Pettigrew.


	9. Chapter 9

There are many more chapters although I have marked the story as complete. I have also corrected the last sentence on this chapter so it is understandable. Sorry for the error. Natasha

Chapter Nine The Voice of Lily

Harry stood at the window of the little house and studied the landscape. He had arrived the day before and had waited in anticipation for someone to find him or follow him. When the day went by and no one showed up at the door he relaxed and turned to cleaning up the little house. _It now looks_, he thought, _presentable._

The mice had taken to nest building and there was still the smell of mildew and some mild rot in some of the wood but it was repairable and he hoped someday that he might be there to do the job. He roamed from room to room and looked at each piece of furniture, each object that decorated the tiny cottage and seemed to not notice the time going by. He avoided the diary that sat on the table in the small kitchen and instead studied the books that lined a shelf in the sitting room or opened drawers and pulled out parchment yellowed by age. It was almost as if he were reliving moments of his parent's lives or at least guessing about how such moments were lived.

He felt an ache deep inside when he ran across letters written by Sirius and sat those aside. He felt almost embarrassed when he opened a small vial of his mother's hair shampoo and inhaled the faint traces left behind. At the end of the second day when he knew that he would be meeting Slughorn later in the evening, he almost wished that he could delay the event and remain in the house.

The clock that he had tinkered with, using only kitchen tools, had begun to run again and it chimed out the hour. And again, using only muggle methods and not touching his wand, he built a sandwich out of bread that he had bought at a muggle store. The extra trip had taken minutes and he was sure he had not been followed. He still wore the muggle clothing McGonagall had transformed and he had glanced in a mirror to see that she had changed the color of his hair from a dark black to a sandy brown. It startled him when he saw it but he was satisfied that he could go unnoticed if he wore a hat.

He stood at the open window and breathed in the summer air and the smell of vegetation and saw himself, as in a daydream, clearing the garden of the overgrowth and weeds and putting up a small picket fence. He was not thinking of the meeting, McGonagall, Lupin's story or Snape; at least he shied away from such thoughts when they crept up on him unbidden.

It was only when he spied a small white object high above against a white cloud and a cobalt blue sky did he bring himself back to realty. The owl drifted in slowly, circling with her white wings stretched to catch the updrafts. She began the forward braking movement with her wings as she came in close and flew into the window to light on his arm.

"Hello, Hedwig," he said quietly. "You can always find me can't you? Who is it? Hermione...Lupin? Who's looking for me? Don't they know I just want to be left alone for awhile?"

She blinked at him and he smoothed her feathers and let her climb on a perch nearby.

"Alright, what did you bring?" he asked and she lifted her leg to expose the small leather bag she carried her letters in. He unwrapped it and pulled the rolled parchment from it. It was a bit of a surprise to see Ron's crude handwriting rather than the tiny scrawl that was Hermione's

_Dear Harry,_

_Lupin's just come in and you'd never guess who's become our most recent guest-Snape! That's right! Thought I should let you know in case you decide to come back early. Remus is convinced Snape is innocent. I'll let him tell you the story. I dunno mate, if you want me to kill him for you, just let me know._

Harry raised an eyebrow at this and shook his head, _Kill him, Ron? No, I don't want you to kill him. He's mine. _He looked up to stare out the window until he realized minutes had gone by and then continued reading,

_I already know what you'll say. Shame really. There were a dozen people down there with their wands pointed at him and Lupin steps in front of him to protect him. So he's safe for now and is staying here. Just think of it!_

_Oh, and, I already know what happened night before last when you were on your way back. McGonagall's been taken by Malfoy. Lupin reckons that You-Know-Who wants her for something at Hogwarts, that's where HE is now. Didn't taken him long did it mate? Well anyway, the family is now joining the Order and we are preparing to fight. I'm part of it and so's Hermione._

_I already know where you are and why you're there. I won't tell anyone. I'm really glad you aren't mad at me for telling Lupin about the you-know-whats and all. I know that the meeting is tonight. Hermione reminded me and that's why I decided to write. She insists that we show up and of course we don't know where it is. I figure if you don't want us to know then I can respect that. I also want you to know that we're going to fight anyway. I'd rather be helping you, but I'll do what I have to. By the way, in exchange for coming back into the Order, Snape brought in another one of the Six you-know-whats. Hermione is still trying to figure out how to destroy it._

_Hagrid is also here. It was a good thing you didn't show up at Hogwarts when you apparated. He says he saw Voldemort enter the grounds, that's how we know he's there. The unicorns and everything have disappeared from the forest and it's being overrun by werewolves and other creatures to 'orrible to imagine', those were his exact words. I guess that Grawp protected him while he escaped. He brought Buckbeak who is in his old room. So we have a very full house._

_I figure you've got a couple days before they figure out where you are, at least before Hermione figures it out. Everybody's running around like mad trying to find you._

_So if you want to write or if you don't, then just send Hedwig back and I'll take care of her. If you need me, then Hermione says use the gold coin that she gave you for the D.A. If you still got it, then use it. We've got one here and we'll wait for you to summon us. In the meantime, I'll try and keep her quiet. Wish me luck with that. _

_Your friend, Ron _

_P.S. Tonks is here and has a device that tracks people when they apparate. She says she can't find you because you're underage and haven't gotten your license yet. So your birthday's coming soon and if I were you I would watch what I do and not use magic of any kind if you could help it. I hope to see you before then._

He reread it again and then dug into his Hogwarts trunk that he had recovered from the Inn where he had left it behind the first time he'd come to Godric's HollowAll of his possessions were there including the gold coin Hermione had given him and extra parchment and ink. He sat on the floor in a spot where the sun beat down onto the now clean oak floors and began to write a short note.

It took him only a few minutes and then he laid it aside and picked up his mother's diary. He opened the lumpy book to discover that the words were written in an unknown language. _Encrypted!_ he thought in frustration. "Mum I need to know what you knew. I promise, I'm not snooping." He said it so quietly that it didn't bother Hedwig who had tucked her head under one wing and was sleeping. The words he spoke aloud somehow broke the spell and he looked down at the book in his lap and saw the letters crawl around on the page, rearrange themselves and begin to speak to him. It was her voice and she was talking directly to him. It was like a muggle recording device and yet quite dissimilar. It felt almost like she was present in the room.

_My dearest son, _

_I am writing this for you. Your father has always teased me about the fact that I have a touch of seer in me; that I am sensitive to future events. Perhaps, it is my imagination. We live in dark times and I fear that because of what I am doing or what we are involved, in that he and I may be in danger._

_I f you are reading this then your father and I are not alive and therefore cannot tell you how much we love you. If that is the case, I am truly and deeply sorry that you are left alone in the world. Know that I love you beyond all measure. It is for this reason that I risk so much to keep you safe. Riddle would not let you live, not if he knew and understood all. I have arranged for Sirius to take care of you if something should happen. I hope you are of an age now when you read this that the two of you can fight this evil together. I'm sure he would not give this to you if you weren't._

Harry realized that his aunt had lied to him. The diary had been in Sirius' hands, not Dumbledore's and had come to her when he diedHe continued to read on

_So I must do what I must do. Your father will not be aware of it and for that I am also sorry, for I never wanted to keep secrets from him. This is insurance ( a muggle term your father just does not understand at all) for your future so you will know what has happened to bring about these events._

_I am here, dear one. Even as I write I hold you in my arms and I look into your face and eyes and I to tell you this story. My heart aches to know you as a man, to see you strong and well._

He listened to her soft voice and heard the deep regret and sadness that underlined the words. He heard the love that she felt for him and for his father and something deep inside began to heal. With each word he began to feel a sense of strength and resolve.

--------------------------------

Remus stood in the sitting room of Grimmauld Place and studied the walls lined with books and the cabinets that remained in the room. He had offered Snape something he could not give him at the moment. He had lied to the man. He had not been able to read Lily's diary and worst of all, Harry was gone and it was with him.

The table of books and parchments lay where they were left. He was up early, before the dawn and Hermione was still sleeping, even though up until then, she had poured over them every waking minute of her day. He glanced at them and sighed deeply. _It is all going so badly_, he thought. _I am here alone without all of you_." He reminisced about his friends and saw their faces before him_. It serves me right. I left you alone to face the worst and I can't even protect your son. What would you have thought of me?_

He sipped at the cold coffee and wandered the room. What was left of the Order would arrive by noon. There were so few of them who were not in Azkaban, dead or gone, or in the back ward of St. Mungo's like the Longbottoms. He could think of only one way to proceed. They couldn't attack Hogwarts and kill Voldemort and hope to win. There weren't enough of them to stop the, now, daily attacks and raids in the tiny villages and on the streets by the Death Eaters. More and more muggle-born were dying or disappearing.

His own resources were growing thin. McGonagall was captured and probably dead. _Terrible, terrible waste_, he thought. He had Snape but was unsure how best to use him and the one person that needed to be kept safe, above all else, had disappeared. And he had lied to him, told him that he had read the diary. When in truth he would have given anything to have read it and did not know what it contained. _Ah, Remus, that's old history; you dream of things you cannot have once again, _he told himself and shook his head in chastisement.

He sat down to think about all of these issues and saw before him, on the table, the object that Snape had relinquished in exchange for his protection. It was a Horcrux. Lupin stared at it and once again counted the objects; a ring, a cup, a locket, a snake-presumably- it was a Horcrux, a diary, and...this object. It was on his mind when Hermione walked into the room in her robe and slippers carrying a hot cup of coffee. Her bushy hair had not been combed and she looked as if she had just gotten out of bed. She wasn't aware of his presence.

"Good morning," he said quietly.

She glanced over and stared at him uncomprehendingly for an instant and then nodded. "Good Morning, Mr. Lupin," she said and yawned.

"Goodness, that's a bit formal isn't Hermione?" he smiled. "Come then, you can call me Remus."

She nodded sleepily. "Alright."

"Do you have good news for me, Hermione?" he asked without enthusiasm, knowing that she probably had found nothing.

"Oh! Yes. I think so," she said and sat down at the table.

"Really?!" he asked in surprise and jumped to his feet.

_I was abducted and held captive by Tom Riddle. He started calling himself Lord Voldemort a short time ago and people now talk about him as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Such nonsense, he is a common criminal. There is nothing regal about this man. On the contrary, he is evil. He delves deeply into the dark arts and teaches them to his followers._

_During my captivity my jailor was Severus Snape a young man I had known at Hogwarts. He eventually found a way to help me escape although he wanted to release me immediately. He confessed that he had taken the dark mark; it links Riddle's servants to him, the ones they call Death Eaters. I could not let Severus release me out of fear that Riddle would kill him straight off. I knew that Severus loved me, something that was bittersweet to me; something I hesitated to take advantage of since I had known about it for a long time and could not reciprocate his affections. But, I could not see this man ruined further or killed on my behalf and so devised a plan to bind him to me with a promise. Don't be angry with him, my son, when you read this. I have and always will love your father. But over the time of my imprisonment I found a soft, gentle soul lived within this wounded man. I would endure the stroke of a thousand more lashes before I would wish him harm. And he made a vow to me, that cannot be broken, to relinquish his servitude with Riddle and to join with us to fight him._

A soft cough at the doorway announced another person in the room. It was Snape. Hermione looked up and stiffened. Lupin twisted his head and then turned back to the books and the open parchment they were leaning over. "Go on, Hermione," he muttered.

"I have found documents that describe the rituals involved in creating the Horcrux," she said and then looked down at a page. "It is scattered through this volume and this..." she handed him another open book. "I think that he had to have someone with great skill to help him make six Horcruxes since this describes making only one...an then it's very, very difficult."

They heard a soft noise of derision coming from the sofa. Lupin glanced over and stood erect. "Hermione is quite a capable witch, Severus. She has accomplished a great deal that will prove very helpful to us all."

Remus glared at Snape who looked him in the eye and then looked over at Hermione, who was now blushing and piling books up in front of her as a sort of protective barrier. "I don't want to ever hear or know about anyone treating her badly. They would have me to answer to."

Snape was the first to look away. He had yet to meet the main body of the Order. There would be difficulties with them and Lupin was not looking forward to it. "Hermione, go over this with me quickly."

She handed him a fresh parchment where she had outlined the procedure and ritual and handed it too him. "I think this may help, Prof...Remus." She smiled brightly at him and handed him the detailed notes she had take.

He was astounded. What he had just said to Snape was minimal praise for the young woman who had produced this paper. He read it and then read it again, pointed to one entry and said, "Show me where you got this."

She searched several large books, one so large it covered the table and they both stretched over it to read the very small hand-printed words. The going was difficult and Lupin had even more admiration for the eyes that had studied these faint scratchings. He read the entry and then stood up and looked over at Snape who was feigning disinterest.

"Severus?" Lupin looked at the man and was still feeling astonished at the discovery he had made.

Snape looked at him, his eyes narrowing. "What is it, Lupin?" The gravelly voice was tinged with sarcasm as always.

"You were with Lily when she was taken by Voldemort..." He stopped, not sure how to proceed. Snape already looked wary. "Did he try to kill her?"

Snape sat still and remained silent.

"If he did, he failed... he tried to make a Horcrux by killing her. It's part of the formula, you have to do an evil deed that corrupts the soul, in this case you have to murder someone. But something went wrong didn't it?" Lupin's eyes dropped to the paper. He hear Hermione's intake of breath. "Whatever happened caused Harry to be immune to curse." He looked over at Snape again.

Snape was now frowning in concentration. He glanced at Hermione and then stood and turned his back to them to wander to a window. Lupin thought that he might not answer and then heard the low voice respond, "It is a spell called _verbero_. He used it on her. It...has been called 'the punishment of a thousand lashes.' He used it before he learned of the Unforgivable Curses and the killing curse"

Lupin felt his stomach roll and unknowingly bent over the desk and braced himself. He did hear Hermione's sharp exhale.

"Does that mean...?" Hermione stuttered.

Snape turned back to them. "Lupin you insist on having this young woman in the room. Do you think that is wise?"

Remus stared at him, at first only able to think of the spell that he was referring to, and closing his eyes as the vision of Lily Potter being whipped a thousand times grinding through his brain. He then felt Hermione's close presence and opened them to look at her. She was pale but looking at him with determination.

"She is old enough to hear what you have to say. She is to become a member of the Order this evening and she will be privy to any and all information. Now..." he gathered his energy and asked the question, "He tried to kill her using the Verbero curse?"

Snape nodded and Lupin could see beads of sweat forming on the man's gaunt, white features. He knew that the discussion was just as painful to him. Lupin ignored his discomfort and began to calculate the date in his head. He looked up finally at Snape. "She was pregnant!" It came out as a whisper. "He couldn't kill her and use her death to make a Horcrux because she was pregnant! I bet that's what happened!"

Hermione squealed and started pushing papers aside and toppling books in a frenzy. "Yes, yes, yes. The unborn child is always sacred. Evil rites can't be performed against a pregnant woman. No wonder he was repelled and his physical body was destroyed when he tried to make her a Horcrux." She pulled out a green leather-covered volume that had gold lettering on the cover. "Professor!" she breathed in excitement, forgetting that she had his permission to call him Remus, "If Mrs. Potter was pregnant then the child she later bore had unique and powerful protections. Not only did Harry survive his mother's torture and the attempt to make her a Horcrux it left him...well to say the least he should be able to do things no other wizard should be able to do."

"We know some of what those are, Hermione," Lupin said almost happily.

She was shaking her head. "You're thinking about his mental connection with Vol...Voldemort," she stopped and glanced at Snape nervously. "He knows parseltongue and there are some other shared characteristics. These are things that

that Harry thought happened when he killed his mother. But these are two separate events. He captured her and tortured her..." she waited for his acknowledgement and continued, "tried to make a Horcrux and failed. She then escaped?" She looked at Snape who nodded. "Then he finally killed her a year and half later when she was no longer pregnant. Well, it went something like that. It's only a guess." She was now frowning and almost talking to herself. Her finger was running along a line in one of the books she had salvaged from the pile. "Mrs. Potter's sacrifice herself to save Harry and that's when Voldemort was reduced to pure spirit depending on his Horcruxes to keep him alive. But that's also when he got some very special skills. They probably won't become active until he turns seventeen..." She was thinking to herself and had forgotten she was speaking aloud.

Harry's eyes skimmed over the writing as if he were devouring the words. As he read the voice spoke in his head, his mother's voice;

_Severus taught me a spell to protect you. It is a blood charm. As long as you live you will be protected from Riddle's attempts to kill you. He cannot touch you without killing himself. I had to use dark magic to complete the spell ( something your father would abhor), and it means losing my own life if he tries to kill you. (Remember, There is a price you pay and that it is always true when you use dark magic.) I do not regret my decision my dearest son. For he is evil like no other evil and he will shadow the world with his presence so that there is no love or joy left. If there had been another way I would have sought it out. _

_There is more that you need to know. He has tried to make a Horcrux. It is an evil, awful thing. He wanted something of Gryffindor's and so he chose your father and I, since we have that object. We refused him three times and that is when he abducted me. I do not know why his attempt to kill me to make this horrible thing failed. I only know that if he succeeds he will be almost unstoppable. However, I love you more than life and if you survive then you are now the only person, if Voldemort has not yet been defeated, who can kill him. I have left you such a terrible task and yet if you are truly my son you will not shy away from it. _

_Do not be afraid Harry. I would not leave you this task without the weapons to fight him. The spell that protects you will also make you strong. When you turn seventeen..._

"I gave her the spell that protected the child," Snape interrupted, He said it so quietly that Lupin, busy reading the book, did not stop.

"The spell?" Hermione repeated. "She had been telling Lupin that Harry would experience increasing powers when he came of age.

"It is dark magic," Snape said, so calmly that Lupin's ears picked it up and he turned once again to the man. "She asked it of me. She wanted to protect her child. It is a blood charm."

Lupin felt a cold chill on his neck and his heart began to beat wildly. He knew very little about blood charms but the words always rang an alarm in his head. "The spell... you gave it to her?"

Snape nodded and Lupin noticed that his hands shook slightly as he folded them before him.

"The spell that allowed Lily to sacrifice her own life to protect, Harry? And you were the one who told Voldemort about the prophecy?" Lupin said in confusion.

"I thought that when he tried to kill her he would die. I did not believe that she would be harmed," Snape's voice broke and he turned back to the window. "I did not know about the Horcruxes."

"Remus..." Hermione touched his arm and drew his attention away from the man at the window. Ron stepped in the room at the same time and glanced around and then looked at her.

"What is it, Hermione?" Lupin asked, still in shock from the information.

"Harry is going to meet Slughorn tonight," she said it and cringed slightly as Ron frowned at her.

"What?!" Snape spun on his heels and marched to the desk in two long strides. His dark eyes were wide with fear. "What did you just say?"

Hermione stepped back and Ron moved quickly to the desk to her side. Lupin reached for his wand.

"Slughorn told Harry he would reveal who taught Voldemort the spell for making a Horcrux. He gave him a letter before we left Hogwarts," she whispered. "It was instructions on when and where to meet him. Harry didn't know how else to go about finding the sixth Horcrux."

Snape shook his head and turned to Remus. He was growling, "Slughorn taught the Dark Lord the spell. He now serves two masters. Before I met with you I saw Slughorn and he gave me the Horcrux that I brought here."

Lupin glanced at the object. "He plays a dangerous game if that's true, Severus."

"It is a Horcrux. I doubt that Horace would have courage to swindle me," Snape snarled. "He is a coward. He hid out from the Dark Lord for over a year. I wouldn't doubt but that his services are required once again. Slughorn knows a great deal about the dark arts."

"We have to find, Harry," Lupin said softly and urgently. "If Slughorn meets with him he can kidnap him and take him to Voldemort; or worse, kill him immediately." Lupin looked at Hermione. "Hermione if you or Ron know where he is you need to tell me. I know that Harry went into hiding when Malfoy caught them. If he meets with Slughorn he could be killed or if he uses his magic then he can be found. We don't even know what new skills he will have when he turns seventeen. Which is when? Does anyone know? Anyway, this is all so very dangerous for him."

Hermione looked past him to Ron and ran her hand through her mass of bushy hair to pull it off of her face. She looked panicked and said, "Harry will be seventeen tomorrow. I can't tell you where he is, only one person can." She looked at Ron, and Snape and Lupin turned to him too.

"I can't tell you," Ron said.

"What do you mean?" Lupin asked, frowning.

"We performed the Fidelius Charm before he left," Hermione said weakly. "Ron is Harry's secret-keeper.

Lupin leaned back against the table, looking deflated and defeated. "No, no. Don't tell me that!"

Ron blushed and remained silent.

--------------------------------

_I will instruct you on some of the spells and skills that you will find in this book. They will help you learn control of these new powers that you will possess. _His mother's voice crooned as his eyes drifted down the page.

Harry stared down at the book in his lap and for the first time, did not feel helpless.


	10. Chapter 10

The story is complete but this is not the final chapter. There are many more to go. Enjoy!Natasha

Chapter Ten The Body Guard

"You must take me to him," Snape said to Ron.

"Not on your life!" Ron answered and the two stood glaring at one another.

Hermione watched with wide eyes that shifted from one man to the other. She had never seen Ron looking so resolved and determined, and the other, her former teacher, looked more frightening then he had ever looked in a classroom.

Lupin shook off the shock and stepped forward. "Why would you ever do such a thing, Ron? Hermione?" he asked.

"He trusts me," Ron said. "He knows his parents were betrayed by one of their best friends and he thought it was a horrible idea. We wanted to persuade him that it couldn't happen again and I'm going to make sure it doesn't. He's safe as long as I am alive."

"Really," Snape said and sneered menacingly and Ron looked at him with such a deadly stare that Snape narrowed his eyes and finally gave one respectful nod to him.

Lupin shook his head and said, "Don't you see that we need to warn him?"

"I know where he is," Hermione said.

"That may be true, Hermione, but you can press your face up against the window of every house in London and never see him; not as long as he has a secret-keeper!" Lupin turned away in exasperation. They could all hear people at the front door as the Black woman's voice had now become something of a door chime when someone arrived. "And now Ron is in as much danger as Harry is."

"I'll go to him and warn him," Ron said matter-of-factly.

"I'll go with you," Hermione offered quickly.

Lupin turned around an spoke quietly, "You and Hermione, were to be sworn in as a members of the Order tonight. It's the only way to keep you safe! Honestly, what made you do this when Harry's parents were betrayed by their secret-keeper?! I would have thought it was the last thing you could do to him."

Ron looked as if he were in pain.

Hermione jumped in. "It was my idea."

"And he agreed to it?! Judgment day is upon us boys and girls and you are playing with magic."

"We weren't playing," Hermione said defensively. "Harry thinks he has to do this all alone. It was a way for us to help him. He has to trust in someone...why not his friends? Neither Ron or I would betray him."

"Oh you think not?" Snape intervened. "How long do you think you would remain silent under torture? Shall we find out?"

Ron glared at him and turned red while Hermione watched Lupin."

Lupin once again rasped, "I was just congratulating myself on the fact that I had such a bright talented witch to rely on Hermione." He circled the table and turned to Ron who stood at attention and stared straight ahead as if being interrogated. "Will you tell me even if I order you to?" Lupin asked, this time he was asking gently although it was clear he was still angry.

Ron looked mortified and then shook his head.

Snape spoke before he could answer, "Don't bother." People began to enter the room. Some were startled that he was present. "I will find Slughorn and it will be a simple task to wait until Potter shows up, but I must go now."

Remus was still looking at Ron when he nodded in agreement "Alright Severus. I think that is our only course of action at this point."

"Why are you trusting him!" Ron said venomously. "You believe him just because he says he didn't kill Dumbledore? We've said it all along that he's still Voldemort's servant!"

Hermione took his arm and she nodded. "He's right. I've wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt." She glanced at Snape and then back at Lupin. "But I have to agree with Ron this time."

"You don't have to hunt me down," a voice from the shadows of the hallway reached their ears and Harry stepped into the room. His appearance was so changed that they stared at him in surprise. He had slipped in unnoticed along with the others.

Hermione was the first to reach him and give him a hug. He smiled briefly at her and waited patiently for her to step aside. He walked to their small circle and Ron started to speak.

"It's alright, Ron." Harry nodded to him and glanced at the people entering and filling the room. "Go and help everyone get situated; you and Hermione. I want to talk to Remus and Professor Snape."

Snape looked at him with one eyebrow raised and Remus once again leaned against the table. "Good to see you, Harry," he said. "I don't mind saying that I have been worried about you. I was about to have kittens when Ron said he was your secret-keeper." He had his arms crossed over his chest and he was looking grim. "I have people who are putting their lives on the line for you...and your friends, and you disappear and don't let me know."

Harry looked at him and his eyes wandered over to Ron. He nodded and sighed, "Yes, Ron is my secret-keeper and I didn't let you know. I'm responsible. It's not important right now, Remus. There are more important things to discuss. I know that you won't understand but would you mind terribly if we talk later. I think I we need to talk about my plans to go and see Slughorn tonight. I'm sure they told you that was what I intended to do." Lupin's eyes met his and Harry could feel the many questions that he held back. He continued, "I'd like to talk to Professor Snape if you don't mind. Then I understand that Hermione and Ron are to be sworn in as members of the Order. I'd like that to."

Lupin was shaking his head almost in defeat. "I'm upset about this and we have to discuss the rules around here. For now I will let it rest because I have other issues to deal with. I can't initiate you into the order Harry because you must be of age. Tomorrow is your birthday. I will do it then."

Harry sighed and said, "Alright, I understand. Let's hope I'm around tommorrow." Remus gave him a sharp look and he turned to Snape, "Could I see you in the hallway, Professor Snape?"

Harry knew that Snape was perplexed by his behavior but was not going to show it. The last time they had met he had tried to kill him and thought him a murderer. Now, he was treating him with respect.

Lupin was looking absolutely murderous and stood up to join the others in the room. "Fine! But we will talk after the meeting. Go ahead, Severus," he said quickly. "I will talk to everyone and give them their assignments. Fifteen minutes and no longer. It's deadly to have everyone in the same room. We must get this meeting over quickly."

Harry stepped into the hall and walked towards the kitchen and then waited until the man joined him. He opened the door to the kitchen checked to make sure it was clear and stepped in. He held the door and waited. Snape also stepped in. He looked grim and suspicious.

Harry took a deep breath and began speaking. "My mother sent me a personal letter. Sirius had it until he died and then it was sent to my aunt at his request and as a part of his will."

Snape nodded once and replied, "I am aware that you received a diary... you say a personal letter..."

"Yes," Harry understood what his question was before he asked it. "Yes, it recorded her voice; a recording is a muggle device... she used a charm to speak to me through her letter." He waited for a moment and then continued. "We don't have much time. I have questions for you and I'm sure you have many for me. They will have to wait. I know that you loved her." He watched the dark eyes widen. It was the only indication that what he was saying was verified. he had wanted to surprise him with the information. "Dumbledore told me once that the greatest weapon I have against Voldemort is the ability to love, to not let my feelings turn to anger and revenge so much that it consumes me and I can't feel anything else. I think...that your feelings for her have been the only thing that kept you...has kept you alive. I think your master would have killed you long ago if he knew the truth." Harry hurried on. "She explained what happened when she was captured." He felt himself shaking slightly with nervousness, but waited.

Snape inhaled and leaned back against the door of the kitchen as if he had lost all strength to hold himself upright. "If she told you what happened then you know that HE is not my master."

"It's hard to know WHO you serve, Professor Snape," Harry replied.

Snape stared at him. "Such respect. I would have thought that it would be beyond you."

Harry sniffed in derision. "Yes, well... I don't think you deserve it or have earned it, but I owe you something for having helped my mother at one time; for putting your life at risk. And, she cared about you and trusted you. That's not to say that I do- or ever will- you got her killed in the end."

Snape's face changed ever so slightly when he heard the words. "So why have you not tried to kill me? You were trying-without success- the last time we met," he asked.

Harry studied the man and laughed. "Kill you? Yes... well I've wanted that; I thought you killed, Albus. I've also wanted a chance to make you suffer as much as you have made me suffer. If I had not gotten my mother's letter I probably would have tried."

"You believe I did not kill Dumbledore?" Snape breathed.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know what to believe. I was there and saw you do it."

"Obviously you now have second thoughts."

Harry walked slowly in front of him and turned to study the room. He had not seen Snape since the night of Dumbledore's death. "I need a reason to trust you. You could have killed me that night and you didn't. As a matter-of-fact after I thought about it I realized that you went out of your way to not kill me. But that's not enough."

"I could have killed you many times if I had wanted to," Snape said quietly. It was clear he was gauging the situation. He looked uncomfortable.

Harry shook his head again. "I know that's not true. My mother told me what you did for her and I also know that you are sworn to protect me. You can't kill me, although I don't doubt that you'd like to." He continued before Snape could interrupt. "It must have been hard to convince your master that you needed to keep me alive."

Minutes went by in silence and finally Snape shook his head slowly and said, "He was grateful that you were still alive since he could use you to resurrect himself. After that it became more difficult. He is an advanced Legilimens and it is very difficult to lie to him; and, he is not my master."

"Oh, no?" Harry ran his hand along the table.

"He sent Malfoy to spy on me," Snape began. "He was to disguise himself using a potion...it is called Polyjuice. When taken it transforms a person into a look-alike. He took it to become me."

Harry stopped and waited. This was new information.

"I knew of the Horcruxes. Albus had told me about his research into Riddle's past life. My objective was to tell the Dark Lord what Dumbledore discovered."

Harry stopped cold and glared at him. Before he could speak, Snape continued, " It was Dumbledore that suggested it. Dumbledore wanted to know what the objects were and where they could be located. Dumbledore was always closely watched. His business would have become known to the Dark Lord very quickly and he knew it. So he fed him information and misinformation through me," he continued quickly when Harry opened his mouth to speak. "The Dark Lord, on his part, wanted to know how much Dumbledore knew; how close he was getting to discovering any of them." Snape nodded when he saw the look of disbelief on Harry's face. "He was so sure of himself that he didn't think Dumbledore could find them and if he did; that he could destroy them. He thinks he is invincible and it is a weakness on his part. I was between them passing on information to both."

"That hardly makes sense," Harry said. "You're only telling me that you had divided loyalties."

Snape ignored the remark and continued. "Lucius took up residence at my home. One evening his wife Narcissa Black and Bellatrix Lestrange showed up at the door. They were not aware it was Lucius, they thought it was me. Wormtail was there, but is of no consequence, since he was sent to keep watch and make detailed reports to the Dark Lord about my behavior; about my loyalties, as you say. He was not aware that it was Lucius."

"Where were you?" Harry asked.

"I was sent, as always, during summer break, to follow Dumbledore," Snape said casually. "I did not know the Dark Lord didn't trust me any longer, a risk that I have lived with for a very long time and one that has grown tiresome."

"You argued with Dumbledore," Harry said.

Snape looked surprised and nodded. "He was developing a plan that did not include me. I found out about it later, when, routinely I used Legilimens on Wormtail to find out what was going on. The Dark Lord does not confide his plans to any one person. However, I make it a practice to learn the details from many sources. This time, Narcissa Black went to my house and wanted me- who just happened to be Lucius- to protect Draco. She believed that the Dark Lord had made him a Death Eater, had given him the mark- which he did- and gave him a task to perform."

"The task being?" Harry asked again.

"She believed that he was to kill Dumbledore," Snape said and stepped over to a chair. He pulled it out and sat down. "She wanted me-Lucius- to protect him and if necessary carry out the task. It is ridiculous to think about it since the Dark Lord would never put such a task into the hands of a boy. Dumbledore was not a stupid man. He knew immediately who was trying to kill him when the poison necklace was found. He also knew that Madam Rosmerta had given it to the girl. Draco's attempt was obvious." He shook his head and very carefully pulled out his wand and he waited for Harry to nod before giving it a tiny wave and setting a cup of steaming hot tea before him. "I did not know at the time and tried to persuade Draco to tell me what it was he was doing. I was not successful."

"Go on," Harry said. "We have very little time. What was Voldemort's plan if it wasn't to kill Dumbledore?"

Snape smirked and said, "There are layers of plans Mr. Potter; layers and layers. Harry frowned and bit his lip to keep silent. He heard the sarcasm and snideness entering Snape's voice again. Snape continued without noticing his irritation. " I believe the Dark Lord had another task for Draco, although Draco was not aware of it. He wanted him to prepare a way for him to enter Hogwarts, to get past Dumbledore's charms and the magical barriers that surround the school."

Harry shook his head, "Why couldn't you just meet him at the gate and let him in? Why go to the bother? What did Voldemort want- to get in and kill Dumbledore himself?" Harry asked, now fascinated.

"No, he didn't enter Hogwarts with the intention of killing Albus," Snape said, ignoring the first question. "I think he wanted something that was in the school. He went to the castle when you and Dumbledore were gone. Malfoy used the Imperious curse on Madam Rosmerta and it was she who sent the message that Dumbledore was gone and that you were with him. Don't be thick, Potter. If had wanted to kill Dumbledore he would have entered Hogwarts when Dumbledore was in residence."

Harry walked the length of the table away from him so that he would not be tempted to curse him. He had to tell himself that it was an old habit of Snape's to demean him and that he had been acting fairly civilized up to that point. He turned to address him and was proud that he was calm. "Dumbledore thought the Gryffindor sword was a Horcrux."

Snape sipped his tea and digested the information. "If that is true then he has it now."

"Does he?" Harry asked and stared past the man to the door. "We have the locket here. Dumbledore destroyed the ring and I destroyed the diary. Professor Dumbledore told me he thought that one of the six Horcruxes was the Gryffindor sword; but it wasn't. At least, I'm pretty sure Dumbledore was wrong about that. The sword came out of the Sorting Hat when I faced the basilisk. I used it to kill it. If it was a Horcrux it had to have been in Voldemort's possession seventeen years ago and I doubt that he would have chosen such an object-a weapon- that would allow me to destroy his own creature." He screwed up his face to concentrate and shook his head about the sword. He continued as if speaking to himself, "He thought the snake was one. There's the cup which we haven't got. So, if we truly have them, all but the snake and cup... then, what's left at Hogwarts?"

Snape studied him and paused before replying. "He's taken Professor McGonagall hostage. Perhaps he also wants information from her. I believe that the object I brought is the last Horcrux."

"I don't think so," Harry said and they stared at each other.

Snape was the first to break the silence. "Why do you say that?"

There was something that was rolling around in his head and it now seemed to prick at him. "I think my mother figured it all out." He paused to consider it and the last words his aunt had spoken to him rang through his head. _That's it! _he thought_. It has to be_! "She found and hid one of the Horcruxes and told me where it was hidden," Harry answered and then went on, " I didn't understand until now." He stopped and Snape gazed at him, waiting silently. Harry went on, "We need to make sure he knows that I have it so that he tries to find me to get it."

Snape looked at him stupidly and then a small smile twitched at his lips, "Being a bit big-headed aren't we, Potter. Out to save the world?"

Harry once again felt his fingers rubbing the handle of his wand. He studied Snape's face, the sallow complexion and the pupil-less eyes and then said, "You didn't hear all of the prophecy when you were snooping at the door of Trelawney's room." The eyes narrowed and Harry wanted to smile. Instead, he kept a straight face and went on, "Shall I tell you? Neville broke the prophecy in the Department of Mysteries. After that Dumbledore was the only one who knew all of it and he told me. If he trusted you so much Snape why didn't he tell you?"

The man remained silent and watched him.

"Don't know, or won't say?" Harry goaded. "That's perfectly alright. I'm going to tell you what it is. Then if you wish you can take it to your master. That's what I want you to do. I want him to know."

"A death wish now, Potter?" Snape growled, all the time smirking.

Harry folded his hands before him and began to speak. He told him the prophecy; he knew it by heart, and then he watched him.

Snape sat back in his chair and his eyes dropped to the table that Mrs. Weasley had polished to a high shine.

"It means..." Harry began.

Snape interrupted. "I know what it means. It means you must kill him or he must kill you...and that's impossible."

"Exactly," Harry answered. "He can't kill me and you were the one who made that possible."

Lily lay on a cold stone shelf in the dungeon cell and listened. She knew he would be there eventually. She laid a hand placed protectively over her belly and she prayed that the child she carried was alive and was unharmed. She didn't know how long she could endure the torture. Riddle was not giving her a reason for it.

And always as he hurt her he sat and played with the golden snitch. She knew he had never played Quidditch himself. For some odd reason he had wanted the golden snitch won at the last game before she had left school. It was given to James as team captain for a souvenir and she had kept it. As Head girl and Head boy of Gryffindor it had been a token of how much they had been liked at school.

Lily kept it on a shelf along with a few other odds and ends. Then Tom Riddle had come calling and it had disappeared. Now she knew where it had gone and for some unspeakable reason it bothered her that he had taken the time and trouble to visit her and steal such a thing.

Lily spit out the blood that filled her mouth and reached for her feelings of anger and hatred. It was the only thing that gave her strength to keep on fighting. She knew that James and Sirius would look for her; would tear apart the wizard world to find her, if she could only hold on.

She lay in the filth of the dungeon cell and thought over the events that led up to her capture and imprisonment. It was just after the meeting at the Ministry. The Wizengamot was establishing new laws for the muggle-born wizards and witches. It had begun because there had been so many violations of their rights in the few months since Tom Riddle had returned from some unknown place and had joined the pureblood families.

She'd sat in the gallery and when the time came, had gotten up to speak. Sirius was with her to give her support since James was out of town. Her only problem had been keeping her friend from speaking out when his own brother, Regulus, had stood to side with the purebloods; which included members of the ancient Malfoy family_. They carry a lot of weight_, she thought. _No that's not true, they terrorize people and get away with it and everyone turns away because they are rich and 'pureblood'._

She hadn't been one to be afraid even though James and she had had a few squabbles about it. And still, she would not have been overly concerned if Albus had been there. But he was gone on business and it was only she and Sirius. Riddle sat in his long dark rich robes of deep emerald green, trimmed in silver, and watched her with his cold eyes.

He didn't speak in the meeting. Instead, it seemed as if he was managing Lucius Malfoy by a set of invisible strings. The pale, blond-headed man stood and spoke and the gallery grew quiet out of respect. Lily could still feel herself getting angry.

"I am not saying that muggle-born should not have a place in our society," Lucius was saying, "but when will it end? Our history tells us that we segregated ourselves because of the muggles tyranny and abuse. They burned thousands of us at the stake." He smiled a little and waved a hand airily towards the section where Lily sat while some of the gallery tittered and laughed merrily at the joke. "Of course, they murdered many of their own and none of us. However, that only goes to prove that they are very blood-thirsty. My point being..." his voice droned on and Lily felt Sirius grabbing the hand that seemed to have strayed dangerously close to her wand without her awareness. "...our blood is mixed quite enough as it is... our magic diluted by impurities," Lucius continued, and Lily looked over at Riddle whose eyes were fixed on her, "...a matter of loyalty that every pureblood witch and wizard consider the ramifications..." Lucius continued.

At the end of the speech, Lily stood along with Sirius until the Wizengamot left the room and then they made their way to the door. It was clear to her that Riddle had engineered it so that he was there at the same time and that they stood looking at one another. He spoke first, "Mrs. Potter?" His voice was very smooth. He put his hand out to shake hers.

His eyes were mesmerizing and his manner smooth and friendly. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Tom Riddle. However, I have been in foreign parts these past years and I have acquired a new name, which many people know me by. Please if you will, call me, Voldemort." He reached and took her hand and his touch was cool and dry. She pulled her hand away immediately. Lucius Malfoy stepped up beside him and stood looking at her with his cool blue eyes and a slight smirk on his lips. They had been face-to-face with one another before and she thoroughly mistrusted the white-haired man.

Sirius was attempting to push her towards the door but she had planted herself firmly in front of Riddle. She raised her chin defiantly and said, "I see that you support this rubbish they are trying to shove down everyone's throat." She heard Sirius grown slightly behind her. She knew what he thought. Everyone thought she was daring, sometimes too daring to speak her mind so openly, and especially in front of this man that so many already feared.

Riddle looked past her to Sirius and the dark eyes narrowed slightly. "I presume you are Mr. Black, Mr. Sirius Black."

Sirius stepped around Lily and to her side to confront him. "Yes, I am."

"I know your family well," Riddle said softly. "Your brother has become a friend of ours."

Sirius squeezed her arm and remained silent, a model of self-containment. Riddle waited for him to react and then turned back to her. "You have made some interesting points for us to consider. I should like to stop by sometime and have a further conversation with you about a few points that seemed a little vague."

She stared back into the eyes and the strange distorted features of the man. From a distance he looked handsome and debonair. At close range, there were some peculiarities about his face. It left her feeling chilled.

"Anytime, Mr. Riddle," she hissed and then turned and marched from the room.

"Oh that was good Lily," Sirius said and shook his head as they left the Ministry. "Let's have lunch Mr. Riddle, perhaps tea?"

"Stop, Sirius," she was still angry. "Let's find Remus. Actually, I wouldn't mind a spot of tea right now. I need to calm down."

A cold draft swept down the corridor. She knew that the door to the dungeon had opened and that her jailor was on his way to her.

"Lily?" his deep velvety voice was always comforting to hear.

"I'm awake Severus."

"Are you alright? I've brought you something that will help." He shoved a vial through the bars of the small cage where she lay and she accepted it. She had come to know that he was an excellent student in potions and she remembered their days at school.

He was a little different now. Something had happened in his life and it had given him strength. He was no longer the shy, cringing boy she had seen pestered and teased by James and Sirius. This was a young man who had found some confidence. Sadly, she knew that it was because he served Voldemort.

She took the potion and then smiled when his hand slipped into the cell and a red rose appeared on the straw.

"You must let me help you now," he said softly. "I think he is planning on killing you."

"They will find me," she answered again. It was always the answer she gave. She didn't know that the man who sat with her had made it impossible for anyone to rescue her but himself.

He knew that her friend, the werewolf, had been dealt with; her husband and his friend had been led down another path, something she was not aware of. "You will die," he said and she could hear his voice break with his pain. "I can't let that happen."

"Dear one," she said soothing him again. "I can't have your death on my conscience. He hasn't killed me yet. He takes pleasure in playing with me. Why should he want to kill me now?"

The young man reached through the bars and stroked her hair. She allowed him to do it without guilt. There was very little to hold onto and she felt fear for the first time sine she had been abducted.

"He is planning something and it involves...killing someone," he said. "He boiled someone in lead to get information that he needs. It's all there I think. I think he has it all now."

She frowned in the dark and lifted herself up. "I will let you help me but you must make me a promise." It was then, that he agreed to perform the charm to protect her child and to leave Riddle's service and she asked with hesitation and trepidation what she could do for him in return.

The knock on the door was unexpected. Lily peeked through the door and saw a tall man in a dark robe. She held her breath when she opened the door to see who it was. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and her hand went to her small rounded belly. She was pregnant but not very far along and her gown covered her stomach.

Riddle was polite and courteous when he stepped into the sitting room. She stood and waited for him to take a seat wondering if she could slip away and send a message to Remus or Sirius to join them. She felt a tinge of fear at being alone with the strange wizard especially since he was now being linked to witches and wizards that were suddenly disappearing or being murdered.

"Our time will be short, Mrs. Potter. I did not want to break into your busy day," he smiled a truly brilliant and handsome smile and ran his hand along the mantle of their fireplace. His dark eyes glanced at the objects on the shelves and his fingers hovered over the golden snitch that belonged to James. He turned to her quickly. "I've just come to see if you could give me the address of Sirius Black. I understand that he does not live with his family. His brother has a message for him and asked that I deliver it since I was close by."

"I can give it to him, Mr. Riddle. I expect him for dinner this evening."

"Oh not to bother," Riddle said. "It was a private message. Perhaps I will catch him later."

She nodded and then turned to her desk. She felt very strange and found her hand going tot he quill and writing the address down on the parchment. "Let me write it down for you. It's not a bother and you can stop at the village and owl it to him." She turned and wrote the information on a slip of paper. Whatever had governed her actions dissipated immediately. She looked at the paper in his hand, wanting to snatch it away immediately.

He nodded politely and walked to the door. "Sorry to have bothered you. I hope that we can have that conversation we talked about at another time." He bowed respectfully and left. She turned back to stare at the room in bewilderment. It was only later that she understood that he had made the visit to steal the snitch.

Snape laid his hands palm down on the table and pushed himself to a standing position.

"This letter from your mother..." he began.

Harry stepped forward and they both stopped when the kitchen door opened and Lupin stepped in.

"Whatever he used, is now in a vault at Gringott's," Harry said without hesitating. He paused for a moment and finished, "I trust you because you could have forced my mother to do many things in exchange for your help and for the protection charm. In the end, she said that you asked for nothing. If you had asked for anything then I would not be talking to you now, I would have killed you straightaway," he said it and turned to Lupin. "We are ready now. Professor Snape has agreed to be my bodyguard tonight when I go to meet with Slughorn." The man dressed in black stared at him and didn't object.

"But why do you still need to meet with him," Lupin asked. "We have the Horcruxes and Hermione has found the information we need to destroy them."

"We need him to deliver a message to Voldemort," Harry answered.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter Eleven Azkaban

They disapparated from the street in front of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place. Neither Snape or Harry saw the rat that hid in the hedges, it's sharp little eyes watching carefully. it was dark and the meeting was still going on when they left.

The address Slughorn had given him was in London and not far from where they had disapparated.

"Do not be surprised if he doesn't show up," Snape said and then added, "and do not be surprised if he does; but be on guard. He is not to be trusted."

Harry had already drawn his wand and was surveying the dark street. It was a street of small shops and the interiors were dark. He was not surprised to discover that they were in a street of shops that sold very high quality items. _After all_, he thought_, that's your goal in life; to have riches and be among the rich; _and added a thought_, and famous- whether they are evil or not. Your loyalty changes with the slightest breeze, doesn't it, Professor Slughorn? he thought bitterly._

They walked up the quiet street and stayed near the stark, blank windows and away from the few lamps that lined the street.

"I know this place," Snape said in such a soft voice Harry would have missed it if he had not been standing so close. "There is a shop here that is an entryway into our world."

Harry nodded and continued to study the street and look for the 1415, the number of the building. He saw it across the cobbled street and nudged Snape who looked over at it.

"Yes, that's it," Snape said and looked both ways up the street, looked overhead to the building tops and then stepped across. They had both worn muggle clothing thinking that they would not be obtrusive in a muggle neighborhood. It was obvious that they would not be needed and Snape turned to him and touched him with his wand and then himself. Their clothes were immediately transformed into wizarding robes. As a matter-of fact they were dressed very well and Harry stared down at himself for a moment and then at Snape who looked very well dressed; much more so then had ever looked at school.

"Malfoy's neighborhood," he said in response to the unasked question. "They dress well there."

Snape studied the street once again and then reached out and pulled open a door by it ornate handle. They both stepped into complete darkness, so deep it almost felt like a cloth had been pulled over their heads. Harry reached back and felt the knob of the door for reassurance that they had not dropped down a well or stepped into a closet.

"Lumos," Snape said and a tiny light erupted from the tip of his wand.

Harry was not surprised to see an empty shop, the walls were bare of anything but a few empty shelves, a counter that was also bare and one door other than the one they entered. It had long been uninhabited for there was an inch of dust on the floor and spider webs in the corners. It was two minute until the hour of ten which was the time written on the letter. Before leaving the Black mansion they had agreed on a plan and it was put into action.

Harry pulled the invisibility cloak from his bag and covered himself and hid behind the counter and waited. They wanted Slughorn to meet with Snape first, to see his reaction and find out what his purpose truly was.

The door opened at exactly ten o'clock and the portly figure of Horace Slughorn stepped through. He was alone; and surprised. "Snape! ...uh...Severus," he mumbled. "What...what are you doing here?"

Snape held his lit wand up to illuminate Slughorn's face. "I have been summoned to Lucius' house. I might ask you the same, Horace."

"Oh...oh, yes, well, I am on an errand for him myself."

"And what would that concern Horace?" Snape asked, his voice dripping with honey. He stepped closer and Harry could see Slughorn cringe a little at the close proximity.

"Oh...can't say Severus. HIS business you know. Uhm...best be moving on then." Slughorn sidestepped Snape who did a little dance with him and once again confronted him. Snape was now very close and Slughorn made the mistake of looking up and into Snape's eyes.

"Legilimens," Snape said firmly.

Harry held his breath. The ex-Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher froze, his eyes returned Snape's stare and it appeared that he also had taken in and held his breath.

It was only a moment and then Snape stepped back and away so that the now slightly foggy Slughorn bustled by and slipped out the front door without saying anything more.

Snape remained standing in his small circle of his own wand light and then quietly said "Nox."

Harry wasn't sure what he was supposed to do until he heard the deep voice in the darkness.

"Potter stay here and do not move; do not remove the cloak and do nothing. I must leave and I will return in five minutes. If I am not back in that time, whatever you do, do not return to the Black mansion if you value your life!"

He turned on his heels and stepped to the door and was out before Harry tore the invisibility cloak from his sweating face. He was at a loss as how to react and decided the best course of action would be to remain where he was a follow orders until Snape returned. If the man failed to show up in exactly five minutes then he would go through the front door.

"What's happening back at the house? he wondered and felt an icy grip on his chest. The whole Order was there; at least everyone left. Lupin had yet to initiate Rona and Hermione and they were about to perform the ceremony just before he and Snape left.

He breathed in the dust cloud that had been stirred by their feet and waited, not having any way to know how much time was going by. He began to count slowly, hoping that he could keep track of the minutes. And then there was a noise in the dark and he threw the cloak over himself and ducked down behind the counter once again. This time is was the door that Slughorn had arrived in, creaking open once again.

This time Harry was surprised by the two men who walked through. One was unfamiliar. he had seen him once in a flash as the Death Eater flew through the halls of Hogwarts while Harry dodged his spells. It was the blond man who was now following Lucius Malfoy through the door ad Malfoy was talking.

"Wormtail just sent word. We should have them all now," he looked excited and happy. "The Dark Lord will be very pleased and I shall be the first to report to him that we were successful.

The other nodded and kept his head bowed slightly when Malfoy turned to him. "Your idea of watching the muggle girl was inventive, masterful, my Lord Malfoy."

Malfoy seemed to enjoy the words and then touched the other on the arm. "Now, now, Carrows, I am not a Lord. Our powerful master would admonish us both harshly if he heard you speak in such a way."

"But it is true. you are a great man," the other simpered and bowed again slightly.

"Well perhaps he will call himself a prince and I shall become a lord," Malfoy smiled pleasantly. "However, our duty is to make sure nothing goes wrong this time. We want the Potter boy and this time there will be no mistakes."

They exited through the front door leaving a trail through the dust with their cloaks. Harry groaned in despair. Whatever they had done, whatever plan they had carried out, he knew could mean only one thing, disaster. All he could do was wait. He had forgotten to continue to count and so had lost track of time. The invisibility cloak was stiflingly hot and he was literally in the dark.

The sound of the door opening again brought him up to peer over the counter. It was Snape.

"What is it?" he asked shooting out from around the counter to meet him at the door.

Snape was lightening quick and had his wand pointed at him before he had crossed the room. Harry waited and his arm dropped. "They took the house," Snape said with a hint of anger. "Death Eaters raided the Black Mansion and everyone is gone."

Harry staggered back in horror. "Who...who was left there?"

Snape pulled him by the arm almost gently towards the door and into the street. "Keep yourself together, Potter. We are in danger."

Harry looked up and down the street and waited with his back again Snape's.

"I will assist you to apparate," Snape said quietly and he reached around his back and gripped Harry's. They immediately disapparated.

Snape opened the door of the cell and motioned for Lily to join him. She had not been conscious when she had been captured and moved to the cell and so had no idea where they were. They climbed the stairs of the dungeon and then there were more stairs and as they climbed higher she felt a sense of dread that made her shiver.

"Severus? Where are we?" They stopped at a junction and she clung to his robes and tried to gather warmth from him. He held her close and put an index finger to his lips.

He mouthed the words, "Azkaban."

_Azkaban! _she thought and looked around her in every direction in fear. _We are in the wizarding prison? Why? Why here?_

He put his arm around her and together they walked down a long corridor. He shield her from the rooms that opened up on the hallway and the sights within. She felt weak from the torture and leaned on him. The had not run into Dementors yet and she felt helpless without a wand. Snape held one in front of him and hurried them along, and at one point put his arm around her and lifted her off her feet.

'I am going to transfigure you into a cat and put you in this basket to take you out,"

Snape said and pulled her into a room; an abnormally large and filthy kitchen. "neither of us will survive if even one person sees you with me," he said.

She nodded and kneeled on the floor in exhaustion.

"You have to help me Lily. I'm not very good at transfiguration and I could turn you into something...terrible."

She smiled and patted his hand and rose to her feet. "We can't have that." She took the wand and studied it. "It was his ebony and ivory wand and had a rose carved into the handle. The rose was entwined with a thorny briar. _How appropriate_, she thought. _A man who's heart is surrounded by thorns. _"I will begin the spell and then you must complete it. Severus? Won't the Dementors sense me?"

"They don't sense animals very well since the emotions and thoughts are s crude," he answered and was watching the hallway and turning to her. His face was covered in perspiration and she could tell he was terrified. She understood completely. She thought her heart would burst open from pumping so hard.

She turned the wand on herself and pointed, concentrating on the transfiguration spell. Suddenly she felt herself shrinking, her body growing small and taut. She watched in fascination as her hands turned to paws and her vision changed until it was sharp and her sense of smell acute. She felt the human pick her up and she was suddenly dropped into a basket and the top crammed down on her. She snarled and hissed and put out one paw with razor sharp claws to scratch the man's hand. It drew blood.

Harry sat on a chair near the window where sunlight poured over him. He was angry and worried. They had found a place to stay very near Diagon Alley. He had paced the room through the night as Snape sat at the table and remained silent until near dawn.

"You should rest while you can," he said.

"Rest!" Harry spit and then hurled himself on the chair and gripped the sill of the window and stared into the street below.

"We have work to do and it will take all the strength we have."

"What do you plan to do?" Harry asked and tried to calm his ever growing fear.

"We need to get the Horcrux from the Gringott's vault before the goblins side with The Dark Lord and his followers. Then we need to go to Azkaban."

Harry's eyes drifted to the Daily Prophet that lay open on the dirty bedding of the bed. The headlines read: _Underground Group Found with Dark Magical Objects, The Ministry Demands They Be Executed. _Below the Headlines a group of witches and wizards were lined up against a wall. They included Hermione, Ron, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Mad-Eye Moody and worst of all, Harry thought, in great horror, Ginny Weasley.

Other headlines read; _Group Leader Werewolf! _and _Ex-Aurors Now into Dark Magic._

Harry discovered as he read that Ministry wizards had found books and parchments laying all over the house that dealt in dark magic and knew also that there had been much more planted there after Voldemort's Death Eaters had raided the house before they informed the Ministry.

"Will they execute them without a trial?" he asked for the tenth time.

Snape waved a hand wearily. He had answered twice and was now beyond his patience.

"Alright then tell me this," Harry said and began to pace again. "Have you ever been to Azkaban? Hermione told me once that no one had ever escaped except Sirius. Is that true?"

"Not exactly," Snape said. "No one is sure how he escaped."

"I know how he got out," Harry said and spun around to face him. he licked his lips and stared at the faces in the paper again. Hermione looked as if she were crying and Ron was as pale as Harry had ever seen him. He allowed himself to look directly at Snape and told him how Sirius had gotten out of Azkaban and how he had been rescued from certain death from the Dementors.

It was Snape's turn to stand and pace the room, turn now and again to stare and glare at Harry and then to move around the room. An hour later he finally stopped and turned to him. "He is not the only one to escape. I helped your mother escape Azkaban. It was the Dark Lord's fortress and home. He held her prisoner there. He provided victims for the Dementors and in exchange he was allowed the freedom of the castle."

Harry dropped into the chair in astonishment and felt a slight sense of relief. "We can go rescue them."

Snape stopped and stared at him. "That is not possible."

"Yes, it is possible," Harry said and frowned at him.

"No."

"YES!" Harry said and stood. "I will not leave my friends there to die. You know how to get in and out so that is where we will go."

Snape put his hands on his hips, his elbows out and he looked more like a great bat then a human when he did it. He shook his head slowly. "The Dark Lord has set a trap. He wants you there so he can kill you."

"What does it matter?" Harry argued. "We will meet eventually."

"I think that it's time that you learn to be a warrior," Snape said. "Don't rush towards your fate headlong without thinking it through, Potter. We need to destroy the Horcruxes. If we are lucky, the information to do it was left behind. It will weaken him and make him more vulnerable."

Harry studied his face and saw a hint of fear there. The man was an enigma to him. "My mother didn't say how you helped her escape."

Snape's face softened at the mention of his mother. "It was very much like Black's escape. I transfigured your mother into a cat."

Harry's eyebrows shot up and he waited and then said, "Really?"

Snape nodded and said, "She was a cat through the first part of the journey."

"The first part?" Harry asked. "They are right then. The prison is on an island out to sea. You had to apparate? Go by boat?" he waited and there was no answer. He tried again, "Swim?"

Snape shook his head and sat down once again, this time almost slumping with fatigue. "One cannot apparate, there are shields to stop it. A boat cannot reach the shores. A man cannot walk away from the fortress, the terrain is a deadly maze."

Harry thought about what he was saying. He knew that Sirius had transformed into his animagi, the black dog and had eluded detection. He had never talked about anything else. "So...how...?"

Snape looked over to him. YOU must fly out!" He shrugged and leaned back against the chair and closed his eyes. "It is the only way to escape the Dementors if you don't have a wand."'

"Really?!" Harry said and sat down at the window again.

"Yes, really, Potter," Snape's head was back and he fell asleep with the last word on his lips.

Harry watched him until his eyes began to move beneath the lids. He took a quill and a slip of parchment from his bag and wrote a short note and then walked on the balls of his feet past Snape and to the door.

_SO I need to fly there_, Harry thought. He opened the door, checked back to hear a faint snore like a purr and he was through the door and into the hallway. _Buckbeak! He's at the Black mansion in his old room. Would the Death Eaters or the Ministry wizards know he was there. Maybe they found him when they searched the house or maybe they didn't._

He turned once to look at the door. "Good luck destroying those Horcruxes, Snape."


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter Twelve Happy Birthday Harry

The street was empty as if some recent event had frightened people away. It felt like there was a leftover residue of morbid excitement, fear and chaos. However, it looked undisturbed. The streets were free of debris but also empty of people. People were not walking their dogs or talking to neighbors over fences, sitting in the summer evening on their stairs and watching the world go by. Traffic was non-existent and even the park nearby was empty of laughing children and young mothers.

Harry strolled cautiously up the avenue, pulling his wizard's robes off and stuffing them into his bag. He knew he didn't have the skill to change his boots to runners or his black under robe to jeans and a tee shirt. He looked a little like a young Jesuit priest with the fitted robe that dropped out like a skirt and down to his knee. The black trousers that went to his ankles looked out of place in the heat of midsummer. He also realized how uncomfortable the clothes now were in the hot sun. He watched the houses that camouflaged Number Twelve for a few minutes and then crossed the street.

_If I'm going to do it; it's best done now_, he thought. His fingers were crossed hoping desperately that nothing had changed about the spell that made the house appear. And sure enough, the gauzy waviness appeared as he concentrated and then the solid foundation of stone and brick. It was there before him and he hurried up the stairs and into the house and closed the doors quickly. There had been nothing to stop him. All of the charms had been removed from the door.

He turned at the door and let out a gasp. Snape was sitting on the stairs calmly studying his nails. He was about to say something when the man looked up and placed an index finger to his lips and pointed at Mrs. Black's portrait hidden behind the black curtains on the wall.

He jerked his thumb over his shoulder and then followed Harry down the hall to the sitting room. It was in terrible disarray and spoke of a number of people having been in the room and a great fight having taken place. Harry glanced at the mantle and was relieved to see the statute there; the transfigured Horcrux.

"Now, Mr. Potter," The voice was back to its old familiar growl. "I WILL save your life in spite of your efforts to throw it away. I will repeat. Do not use Magic unless your life is threatened. I was the one who removed the charms from the door and emptied the street."

Harry responded in anger. "Then take me to Azkaban. I have no life at all if my friends are killed."

"In good time," Snape said, his dark eyes narrowed in fury.

"Does that mean you will take me there?" Harry asked.

"Yes," Snape said and nodded in resignation. "At my discretion. You have to learn not to build your nest in the top of trees, Potter. You invite more troubles then you can hope to manage if you go off without seriously considering a plan of action." He turned away and studied the table that had held the documents Hermione had mulled over. Most of what had been there was gone and what was left was burned to a crisp or scattered throughout the room. "Learn to rein yourself in; learn some self-discipline," Snape continued with little interest reflected in his voice. He appeared to be more concerned about the condition of the room.

Harry was seething in silence and chided himself on having been so clumsy and stupid to believe he could sneak by the man. He also knew that Snape was right and that he had been in a hurry to do something about his friends. He had no idea how to go about it and also knew that Snape was right about the Horcruxes even though he hated to admit it. _Got to be smarter than this, _he thought, although he could not erase the anxiety that crept up in his chest and made it hard to swallow.

He looked around and then turned to leave the room. "I'll check upstairs."

Snape nodded without looking.

He checked the long hall on each floor. Most of the rooms had been currently occupied with the number of people seeking a refuge. However, Buckbeak was not in his old room near the attic and there was no indication of where Hagrid might be. He had not been among those captured, or at least the Daily Prophet had not mentioned him.

Harry did find the room that Ginny and Hermione and Fleur had occupied. It was clear that they had been taken. There were even scorch marks on the walls indicating that a fight had taken place. Harry noticed that there were also shredded pieces of parchment on one bed and was sure it belonged to Hermione. He was mildly surprised to discover when he bent over the pillow and mangled bedding that Crookshanks was poking his squashed face from beneath them.

"Crookshanks!" Harry said and pulled the frightened cat out. It struggled for a moment and then settled into his arms. "You've been left behind." Harry murmured to the cat and stroked it, sinking his fingers into the fur a little too roughly at times. The cat tolerated his inept petting and began a throaty purr.

He continued to search the room and then carried the cat out to the landing and started down the stairs. His fingers suddenly hit upon the cat's collar and he would have ignored it except that that the cat pushed his head violently against the fingers as if trying to rub it off.

"You don't wear a collar, Crookshanks," Harry said aloud and stared down the dark hall. the house was quiet. He ran his fingers around to the catch and unhooked it. The cat, now free, of his burden, slipped out of Harry's arms and strolled leisurely down the hall in search of mice.

Harry noticed that a piece of paper was rolled around the collar. It slipped off into his hand. He unrolled it and noticed Hermione's very small handwriting covering every blank space on it. He could not understand what she was writing. It appeared to be instructions.

_Hermione did you find the spell to destroy the Horcruxes? _he wondered and started back down the stairs.

Snape was waiting for him.

"We must leave soon, it's too dangerous here. What did you find?"

Harry handed him the paper and watched him.

The dark eyes skimmed over the parchment and nodded. "Yes, this is what we want." Snape said. "I have the locket. We must go. There is one thing I must do first."

Harry frowned and waited.

"I must perform the your coming-of-age ceremony and initiate you that will make you a member of the Order. I understand that today is your birthday."

Harry was surprised. He'd forgotten. "Yes. It is. But tell me first why that is important?"

Snape eyes were now rimmed with dark shadows and fatigue was written in his every movement. "You are about to come of age. You will use magic for the first time outside of Hogwarts and no one will be able to monitor it. As a safeguard the initiation has always been done on the seventeenth birthday. It will help govern your magic."

"Govern it?" Harry didn't like the sound of it.

"Help you control yourself," Snape snapped. "It's either that or let the Ministry license you?" His eyebrow went up. "I don't think we want that now do we? It is a ritual that all wizards and witches must undergo when they come of age. There can be no rogues out there, Potter and it is better done, even by me, then by some Ministry moron." Snape was now hissing with irritation. He seemed to mellow a little and said, "They always manage to turn out less then adequate wizards and witches to say the least."

"Alright!" Harry growled back. He had rather hoped that Lupin could have initiated him into the order but knew that it was impossible and he knew nothing of a coming-of-age ceremony. He had to trust Snape. "Why here in this house?"

"It is the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore made it so. Please do not ask a million questions, Potter. I need a bed and rest and so do you. THAT..." he continued when Harry threatened to interrupt, "must come before anything else. And I don't want to have to continue to chase you all over London to make sure you aren't getting into trouble. Your friends will not die in the next five hours or six hours. Then, and only then, we will decipher Miss Granger's scrawlings..." he shook his head and looked at the paper again, "...once more...", as if to say that he'd had quite enough of reading Hermione's lengthy essays while at Hogwarts.

Harry shrugged in acquiescence and said, "Fine. Tell me how we are going to get to Azkaban?"

Snape looked up and scowled. This time he spoke with his usual sarcastic voice, "You own a broom don't you, Potter? It's seems to me you know how to fly."

"Oh...well...yes!" Harry said with surprise. "I'll just go fetch it." He turned and hurried back up the stairs to the room he had occupied for very short time. While there, he slipped the diary in his bag and checked for anything else he'd left behind. The shiny gold galleon that Hermione had put a spell on was between his Quidditch robes. He slipped it into a pocket and then left the room.

Snape waited for him in the sitting room and Harry once again entered carrying his belongings. He was without Hedwig and did not know where she might be, other than she had been stolen, released or out hunting. He couldn't worry about her and was traveling light. He was sure that she would find him as she had always done if he was needed.

Snape withdrew his wand and paused. He cleared his throat and looked as if he felt awkward. Harry wondered what the difficulty was. He agreed that they had been in the house far too long. He was about to ask what the matter was when Snape looked at him and began to speak, "I must apologize, Potter. This ceremony is a private matter and most often done by a person's parents or guardians. If they are not available then it is done by close friends." He cleared his throat and Harry could see a faint shade of pink in his cheeks.

_He's blushing_, Harry thought with amazement. _He's actually embarrassed! _He tried covering up the moment by saying by saying, "It doesn't matter. Let's get on with it."

Snape shook his head. "You know very little about being a wizard, Potter."

"So what?!" Harry said in anger. "I didn't have much of a chance to learn."

"I am not trying to be critical, Potter. This is difficult enough," he stopped and then looked uncomfortable and resolved. "Very well, let's proceed. You will understand better afterwards." Snape was not being sarcastic or even cruel when he said it and Harry felt like he had many times; he felt left out and ill-at-ease. There had been too many times, so many that he'd lost count, when he had not understood something about the wizarding world and it was obvious this was one of them. He couldn't argue with the man, he was ignorant about this.

"I am apologizing for having to be the one to perform the ceremony," Snape said, uncharacteristically. "We hardly have any kind of relationship but I will do the best that I can under the circumstances and because it cannot be delayed any longer to find a suitable master wizard. It is called a quickening ceremony and is designed to stimulate your magical powers that come to fruition on your seventeenth birthday. It is part of our biology, Potter." Snape once again looked extremely uncomfortable. "Without it our skills are not easily controlled and can often be dangerous to us and others."

Harry nodded solemnly and stood before him.

Snape stepped closer and studied him for a moment before he touched his shoulder with the wand and placed his other hand on the other shoulder. "We are wizards bound by a universal pledge to keep our kind a secret from the muggle world and to live as brothers and sisters in harmony, to consider our magic as a sacred trust and follow the laws established by our governing body. We are mortals and we pray that in all things our wand hand is governed by an all-knowing mighty hand from above. And so shall it be."

Harry felt a slight tingling sensation that crept downwards through his body and warmed him, almost to the point that he began to perspire. He suddenly felt a sensation the likes of which he had never known. It was wonderful and at the same time frightening. It sparked a feeling that was almost sexual in its similarity; but clearly highly sensual and strong. He felt the ripples of a strong orgasmic spasm seize him and erupt through his system and for a moment his mind was filled with pleasure and beauty.

He knew the minute that it began to subside that he was truly and forever a wizard and that the muggle part of him was now dying away. There was no doubt as he felt its last death throes and along with it the agony of its' dying that lasted but a fraction of a second and then went out like a candle flame in a draft. And then it was over.

Snape dropped his hands and stepped back.

Harry immediately understood the intimacy of the ceremony and why Snape had been embarrassed. He hoped someday that he would be alive to perform the ceremony for his own children because there was now a link between them much like a father to a son; a brother to a brother and it had been uncontrovertibly the most intimate thing he had ever done with another human being.

"I'm sorry," Snape said again. He watched Harry, who now straightened and faced him with a new look and a new attitude. "It should have been someone else," he said.

Harry nodded and turned towards the door, and then stopped at the door saying, "I'm not sorry. Now let's go."

Snape stood at the one of the doors to Azkaban and looked down at the chasm before him. He always apparated back and forth to Azkaban at the Lord's bidding when the spells on the fortress were removed and had never had to physically navigate the intricate and horrific corridors of the castle or the horrible landscape that surrounded it. He now stood at the precipice and looked out over the moat that was hundreds of meters deep.

He knew that one had only to put their foot out and walk across the chasm on an invisible floor. There was an employed to make it look like one would fall into the gorge and die instantly and very few knew that it existed. He held the basket with the cat in one hand and his wand in the other, glad that Lily was not in her human form. He was dealing with the terrors himself and was glad he could allow her the peace of not being afraid. Even knowing some of the secrets to the place did not relieve him of the terror of it; that and the ever-growing fear that they would be captured.

He put one foot out and closed his eyes. If he was wrong, and there was no magical illusion, they would both plunge into the moat and no magic would stop them from being shattered against the steaming rocks and molten lava below. His breath caught in his chest and he stepped forward. He stumbled slightly when his foot hit solid ground. He opened his eyes and stood, seemingly, in space, over a thousand foot abyss smelling the gases from the smoking rocks below.

He walked slowly and carried the basket as if it were made of gold. The cat was now calm and resting. He checked often and thoughtlessly sucked on his hand where she had clawed him an hour before, tasting the salt of his own blood. He was feeling better. They had escaped the fortress and no one had given the alarm. He knew that their most dangerous moments were yet to come, but he was relieved to escape the dreadful atmosphere of the fortress created by the Dementors.

It was dark and Severus searched and found the trail by the filmy, ghostly shreds of moonlight from a sliver of a moon.. He knew there were meat-eaters in the green foliage. That did not concern him. What did concern him were the Inferi that the Dark Lord kept in the pools along the trail. If they surged and overwhelmed him, they would both die very horrible deaths; eaten alive by the ghouls. The only means to fight them was fire and that would give him away to the patrols of werewolves and their brothers, the wolves that watched the perimeter. He walked slowly, placing his foot directly on the path to avoid the edges of the swampy water and the Inferi within. He knew it would take longer but knew it gave them a better chance.

Harry could not sleep. he lay on the bed and felt a new strength coursing through him. It had been almost forty-eight hours since he'd closed his eyes and so much had happened. Finally, afraid that Snape would cast a spell on him out of shear frustration, he closed his eyes and fell into a floating dream.

He woke and stared at the shabby room around him before realizing just where he was. he jerked to a sitting position and saw Snape across from him sitting at a table writing on a piece of parchment with Hermione's paper before him. He glanced over and nodded.

"I see you are awake. Good." He continued to write and then looked up once again when Harry didn't respond. "Make yourself some breakfast and then join me. We must go out soon. We cannot put off a trip to Gringott's and it will be dangerous."

Harry stood and stretched. "How long was I asleep?"

"Twelve hours," Snape said and continued to write.

Twelve hours! Harry thought. "Why didn't you wake me?!"

"You needed to rest," Snape said. "We could very well break into Gringott's in the middle of the night. We have not wasted time, Potter. Do as I say."

Harry frowned at him and searched for his wand without arguing. He was mumbling under his breath, promising that he would not always be following Snape's orders. The man had a sixth sense or was a seer because he answered aloud, "No Potter, you will not always follow my orders, but today you will." The dark eyes came up and Harry rolled his own and sat down at the same table. For the first time, he waved his wand without worrying about it being illegal and produced a complete breakfast for himself, something he was surprised to learn he could do with ease.

"When will we go to Azkaban?" he asked chewing his toast with relish.

Snape looked up and frowned. "We will be lucky if we survive destroying the two Horcruxes."

Harry frowned. "You don't intend to go at all."

Snape looked up again. "We must do this first."

"Have you ever been there at all?" Harry snapped.

"I told you. Your mother was kept prisoner there. We escaped; we did not stroll out of Azkaban, nor did we waltz." The dark eyes were now piercing. "We escaped with our lives which is fortunate and indeed, a miracle. There is a reason it is a wizard's prison, Potter. It is almost impossible to enter or leave unless the proprietor is at home and allows it."

Harry raised an eyebrow and continued eating. "Do you think you can destroy the Horcrux from the vault? How do you know the locket is not already clean?"

Snape had bent to his writing and laid the quill carefully on the table, folded his hands together over his document and then raised his head. "I believe that Miss Granger found the clues to how they are made. She also made some notations about how they are unmade. I believe the locket is probably no longer a Horcrux. Now is there anything else you'd like to know or shall I put my work aside and chat with you while you have your breakfast?"

_Good ol' Snape_, Harry thought. _No warm and fuzzy feelings left over from the day before. _"When will we leave for Azkaban?" he asked without concern about his companions mood.

Snape was writing again. "If we survive this, then we will leave immediately after."

"How long will it take to get there?"

"Potter!"

"Alright," Harry griped. He sipped his coffee, finished his breakfast and ventured another question. "So how long does it take? It's far out to sea, right?"

"No. It is not out to sea," Snape answered slowly. "It is on the coast. However, there are perilous cliffs and surging oceans there. It does not take long to get to the island where the castle stands. It does take some time to do so without being seen and to navigate the trail that takes one to it. Once inside it will take even longer. Perhaps it would be wise for you to stay behind."

"What?!" Harry gasped.

Snape studied him from beneath heavy brows and once again laid aside his quill. "There is no need for you to risk your life. I can go and try and free the others."

Harry shook his head. "I told Remus that same thing I'm going to tell you. You cannot leave me out of this fight and you know the reasons why."

"The Dark Lord is at Hogwarts. He is not at Azkaban."

"You said that he is setting a trap for me there," Harry argued.

"Perhaps," Snape said agreeing. "It is likely. It doesn't mean that he is there. It is a difficult place to get into and out of. I do not need to watch over you and try and do it."

"I am not a child and I do not need a nanny," Harry protested angrily.

Snape waved his hand airily at him and groaned. "Don't give me your theatrics, Potter. I am not in the mood for it. You have no idea what this is about and you have no real understanding of what to do if you go after him."

"No?" Harry spat. "I have already met up with him once. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I can expect."

"He will not allow you close to him. He has learned his lesson well since the night of the tournament. You cannot use your wand and he cannot use his. He kidnapped Ollivander just so that a new wand could be made for him." Snape rose from the table and paced the room. He spoke in a low calm voice. "He has thought of all the avenues that you might use. Believe me, there are many who dream of assassinating him and who will never succeed. And let me say, they are a little more intelligent then you."

Harry watched the man who spun on his heels, hands behind his back in the center of the room and fell silent. He waited, not sure what he could say. He knew that he needed him, probably could do nothing without him, and yet, had to go on.

"Does he believe you are still loyal to him? Harry asked. "You need my protection as much as I need yours. I can't tell you why but it is important that your true loyalties not be revealed too soon."

Snape waited a full minute before nodding slowly.

Harry stood and walked to him, standing very close. "We need each other. I can't do this without you and he can't be killed without me. So let's go one step at a time and see what happens."

Snape looked down into his face and relaxed. "My thoughts exactly, Mr. Potter."

"Good." Harry turned away and walked to the window. It was a beautiful summer day and a shame that there were no wizards or witches out on the street. "Let's go get that Horcrux." He felt his heart beating hard and he headed for the door. Snape followed wordlessly.

Severus released the cat and waved his wand over her. The woman rose before him in the light of the moon. He held his breath as he watched the transformation. They were not out of danger yet, but he could not go on with her as a cat.

Lily looked over the cliff and down at the raging ocean below. Even in the dim light it was clear that there were jagged cliffs and surfs that beat against them. No human could survive the waters below.

"Severus! How..." she looked around her and grabbed his hand. "We're no better off then when we were up there."

She tilted her head and he studied her long neck and neckline. He could have fallen to his knees at that moment and begged for her love. Yet he knew that she did not belong to him and never would. He could only feast with his eyes and long for her until there was an ache in his chest that threatened to still his beating heart.

When he didn't answer she turned to him. They were very close. Even the salty ocean air did not erase the fragrance of her hair and skin. He pulled her close and she allowed it and then pushed away. "Severus...," she began gently.

He shoved gilly weed into her hands and wadded up the remainder in his. "It will help us breath underwater. When we get to the waters edge we must try and swim to shore. We may die."

She looked at the wormy tendrils of plant in her hand and then nodded. "They were in desperate circumstance and she knew as well as he that they had come a long way, even if they failed at the end."

"The child I carry, Severus," she started again, this time leaning into him and seeking refuge against the rain and the cold by pressing her face into his chest. "You will keep your promise?"

Snape pressed his lips gently against her hair, so gently that she could not feel it. "I will do whatever you ask, Lily." Even as he said it he could feel the dark mark on his arm begin to burn. The Dark Lord had discovered their escape and was calling his Death Eaters to him.

She looked up at him, and then turned, took his hand and began the treacherous descent to the ocean. Meanwhile, a patrol of wizards circled overhead on thestrals and shot sparks into the air to illuminate the ground below. It had begun to rain ferociously and it whipped at their clothes and their bodies until he thought they would be swept off the cliffs face into the frothy surf below.

When they reached a point where they could safely jump in, he pulled her to him once again and shouted above the noise that deafened them. "He has discovered you are gone. Now we must hurry. Do not leave my side!"

She nodded and put the gilly weed in her mouth and began to chew. He did the same and took her hand. Just before they jumped he turned to her. "I love you, Lily!"

"What?" she asked, her face screwed into a question mark.

He shook his head and felt the first effects of the gills forming on his neck. He reached for his as she did hers and then jumped and pulled her in with him.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter Thirteen The Triwizard Cup

"I must confess, Severus that I am not surprised that it is you that Tom Riddle sent." Dumbledore said. "I believed that it was his only course of action when he could not obtain a position here himself." Albus circled the desk and stood before the young man.

"It would have been the most prudent course of action to plant a spy."

"He's is trustworthy, Dumbledore," Lily broke in. "He's saved my life and that of my child. He has sworn an Unbreakable Vow to me and I trust him with my life!"

Snape remained silent and looked at her with adoration written in every feature of his face. Dumbledore noticed it and nodded more to himself then to her. "Yes, but he has not sworn one to me, Lily." He raised a finger in the air as he spoke. Snape's eyes shifted to his new Headmaster and still he remained silent.

Dumbledore walked the walls of his office and read the titles of the books on the shelves. Fawkes was asleep on his perch in spite of the noise from various previous headmasters voicing their concerns from the portraits overhead.

"He is not to be trusted, Dumbledore," one said.

"He carries the dark mark," said another.

Dumbledore pulled down a heavy volume and opened it on a nearby table. Lily reached for Snape's hand and smiled at him reassuringly. He squeezed her fingers gently and then pulled his hand from hers.

"Lily would you mind if I spoke to Severus alone?"

She nodded and left the room, the sound of her skirts swishing across the floor. She turned once to look at them both and then left.

"Severus, I believe that people should have second chances. However, in this case, any mistake I make would mean the death of many; would put into jeopardy what I have protected for a lifetime."

"If I thought it would be easy to persuade you that I am trustworthy, I would not pledge my loyalty in the first place. I would expect you to kill me instantly," Snape said quietly.

"Yes, well having you dead doesn't do you or me any good. We both know an Unbreakable Vow can be broken and; no, I do not trust you. Trust is not something you make happen with magic, Severus," Albus murmured and stared at the young man over his spectacles. "However, I trust the feelings you have for that young woman who just left the room."

Snape's eyes swept over to the door and back to his Headmaster.

"She is married and has just had a child," Albus mused.

"I am aware of it, Headmaster."

"You have been in my employ for less then a month, Severus?" Albus asked and searched the book, running is fingers down the page. "You are a good Potion's teacher. Your skills with the students need improving but your knowledge is excellent. I do not intend to do anything about your employment here, you are not sacked. On the other hand, the cat's out-of-the-bag as far as the Order is concerned. And perhaps, that young lady's faith in you is sincere but she made a grave error by telling you about the Order without consulting me first. That is neither here nor there now right now and so we must make do."

"What kind of vow do you wish me to take? Snape asked warily, watching him researching the book he had taken from the shelf.

"I ask for no vow, Severus. I think you've taken plenty of those already. I am merely consulting an astrology chart."

Snape shifted uneasily. "Then what?

Dumbledore looked up, this time his face grim. "I ask only that you make a promise to me. That you give me your word; a personal pledge if you like."

Snape frowned. It was unexpected. There was no magic involved in a personal promise. It could be broken at any time. "That is all?"

Dumbledore nodded and approached him. "I do have an idea about this that may tidy things up for you. You may find it acceptable or abhorrent. I think you may be very useful to me if you were to act as a spy for me as well as continue in that function for Tom Riddle. This is also something I would not force on you. It is something you must readily accept. Again, I would take your word."

Snape grimaced slightly.

"Perhaps you think me naive? or senile?" Dumbledore said smiling slightly. Yet his blue eyes were serious and he waited patiently for a response.

Snape shook his head. "I would never think that." He took a deep breath and said, "You have my word, Headmaster. I will do what you ask."

He glanced at the door. "A bit too quick to agree, Severus. Is that because you see no purpose for your life? Is this a means to put an end to your pain?"

Snape stood stiffly and clenched his jaws.

Dumbledore nodded slightly. "Very well. You do understand that your life will be at risk if you do this for me, probably many times."

Snape nodded once, still looking angry.

"I am sorry, Severus," Dumbledore said gently. "That was rather harsh of me and none of my business. However, I proposed and you have agreed to this arrangement and you have given your word. That is good enough for me."

--------------

Snape and Harry stood at the corner looking at Gringott's. They were out of view of the few people who rushed past on errands in Diagon Alley. Their present dilemma included how to get into the bank undetected and not have the Goblins' raise the alarm that two fugitives were in their bank. They then had to retrieve the object in the vault and leave.

Harry was about to suggest that they risk going in as they were, when he saw someone walking up the street holding on to the arm of a very old lady. The lady was recognizable by her clothes. Harry could never forget the look of his Potion's master dressed in those very clothes; albeit he was a boggart.

_Neville! _"Professor..." Harry began, turning quickly to Snape.

"Oh please, Potter," Snape mumbled irritably. "Call me Mr. Snape or just Snape. I am not your Professor now."

"Wait here," Harry said and stepped into the street. Snape reached for him and missed and stepped into the shadows when he saw the figures coming up the street.

It was a simple matter for Harry to see them and ask for a favor. Neville's grandmother was about to expound on the Ministry and the Minster of Magic as being complete gits for their recent behavior and was entirely sympathetic to the fact that it was an outrage that Harry was wanted for questioning in connection to Dumbledore's death. She offered her home, money and anything else that he needed.

In fact, what Harry needed was Neville. He explained that he needed an object from one of the vaults and could not easily go in to retrieve it. they quickly discussed a plan of action and Harry returned to the corner and waited in the heat of the building until the couple returned to the street. Snape stood in the shadows away from the street and Harry kept vigil. It took less then thirty minutes.

Neville looked up and down the street and crossed over. They met in an niche between buildings. "Harry, if you need help all you have to do is ask."

"I know it Neville and I appreciate it." Harry accepted the small wooden box and smiled at his friend.

"What are you going to do?" Neville asked. "Are you going to try and get Hermione and Ron and the others out of Azkaban? If you do, can I come?" He was glancing over his shoulder to watch his grandmother who stood waiting in the sun for him. "If you need anything, Gran is on your side. Me, too. Lots of people know the truth."

"Thanks, Neville," Harry said quietly.

"You've got to hurry though. They're going to be executed tomorrow," Neville groaned. "Have you got a plan?"

"Tomorrow?!" Harry had not seen another paper and had not read the latest news.

"Yeah," Neville said. His fear was poignant. "Well I'll be waiting to hear from you. Me and the others."

"The others?" Harry was now puzzled.

"Yeah, the rest of the D.A.," Neville whispered and then turned and rushed over to his grandmother.

They were about to disapparate when three Death Eaters appeared in the street. Neville and his grandmother had turned a corner and were gone. It left Snape and Harry standing, still in the shadows, but alone.

"How?!" Snape hissed in shock. "Go!"

Harry had barely looked up and did a quick half turn and disapparated. He could not tell if Snape had done the same.

Hogwarts did not look the same, it's normally brilliant white spires and towers were now overcast in gloom and darkness. The sun couldn't seem to find it's way past the clouds and the ever present rain. Dementors patrolled the grounds and the cheery gardens and ground that had been well-tended by Hagrid were now growing wildly.

A hippogriff stood on one of the ramparts and shuffled anxiously. It did not like the atmosphere and in particular the wild creatures that were now roaming freely on the grounds. Under the care of Hagrid's hand it stayed put and did not flee. The half-giant was carrying a limp figure in his arms. With great care, Buckbeak's master laid the witch across its back and then climbed on behind her.

Buckbeak was now used to the weight of the half-giant but felt a strain with the additional person. Hagrid stroked his feathers and talked gently. The hippogriff knew he must do his best to fly far enough to evade any of the wizard's on thestrals. He loved the half-giant enough to break his heart in the attempt.

"Alrigh' Buckbeak, les go," Hagrid held on and Buckbeak began trotting and then galloping along the wall. They were nearing the edge and he spread his wing, put his neck out and began to flap. "Thas it!" Hagrid shouted and they took off.

They were not seen, even when the hippogriff swooped down low over the trees and then the lake attempting to gain height. He struggled and then caught a downdraft and allowed his wings, sensitive to the air currents, to pick it up and lift him into the air. Wings stretched wide, he carried them over the Forbidden Forest and out towards the mountains that ringed the small valley. They were safe.

Different groups were located in different cells and separated by heavy iron doors that had small holes in them. Arthur and Molly Weasley were locked in one; Hermione, Ginny and Fleur in another, and so on. Ron was with Lupin.

"How do they execute wizards here?" he had asked Lupin the first night. His voice was heard in the cell next to them which held the girls.

"Ron!" Hermione snapped sharply.

Lupin shook his head at him and ran a finger across his throat. Ron nodded and crouched back into the straw. He asked no more questions.

"We are not without hope," Lupin said loudly. "There are still people who they have not captured out there who will help us." He was thinking of Snape and Harry and knowing that there chances were very, very slim.

Arthur Weasley took the encouragement up and added, "That's right! They can't very well kill a Ministry wizard and his family and get away with it. There are many people who will fight this."

There was a sound from a cell further down the dark stone corridor. Lupin's very keen hearing picked it up. "Remus?" Tonk's thin wavery voice cut the gloomy silence that followed Arthur's remark.

Lupin sprang to the door and shouted through it. "Tonks? Tonks are you alright?"

He could feel his heart beating wildly.

"Yes, Remus. I'm fine. Moody is across from me and took a very bad hit. I haven't heard him move."

Lupin nodded and felt relief even though he knew that they were in a terrible fix. "Alright everyone. Let's have a head count. I'll call out your name and you sound out." He felt lucky that there were not more of them and that he had actually managed to get some of his people free by bribing some of the wizard guards. They had also ended the meeting at Grimmauld Place and had performed thee coming-of-age ceremony and initiated Ron and Hermione into the Order when the door burst open and they were captured.

He listened and heard Arthur and Molly, Bill, Fleur, Ginny, Hermione, Ron, Tonks and Fred and George who were not their usual jovial selves. Tonks reported Moody was in a cell and not responding. Lupin could not tell if there were more but was at least satisfied that there were so few.

He waited until a Dementor passed the cell and the atmosphere warmed a little before attempting to continue communication. Now, it was between he and Arthur to find a plan to escape. They talked through the morning and some of the others suggested ideas. It was when they were given bread and water for their lunch plus the Daily Prophet that they had all learned of the date of their execution.

---------------------------

Harry made several stops. He did not know where Snape was and thought that he needed to keep moving. Someone or something had warned the Death Eaters of their location. He stopped first at Fred and George's shop. It was empty and the glass front was shattered and covered with smudges of black smoke and soot. The front was totally destroyed and only a few Weasley Wizard Wheeses still sat on the shelves. Harry rummaged among the blackened ruins and made his way towards the back entrance.

He heard a rustling behind the closed door and pulled out his wand. He opened it cautiously and poked his head in a short distance. The room was dark. He remembered having Fred and George pull him into this area where they kept there experimental

products and having them stuff his hands full of free things. Now, he was concerned about someone pointing a wand at his head, the moment he stepped in.

"Harry!" a whisper caught his attention. It was from a dark corner. Harry squinted and saw a figure standing there.

"Percy?" Harry had not seen the older Weasley boy for a long time.

"Harry!" The red-headed, freckled young man stepped out into the dim light.

Harry kept his wand up and faced him.

"My parents...my whole family are in Azkaban, Harry,"'' Percy's voice rang with anxiety and he came forward in spite of the wand pointed at him. "You've got to help them, Harry! you've got to!"

"Why are you here?" Harry asked. He didn't trust the man who had encouraged his own brother to desert him.

"I've looked for all of them. They're gone! Then I saw the paper. They're going to execute them!" Percy was now in tears.

"Yes, the Ministry you work for..." Harry growled.

"I know, I know..." Percy wept. "But it's not Scrimgeour's fault. He's not in charge anymore. He...he just does what they tell him to do. If he didn't they'd kill him."

Harry studied the sunken soot-covered face and lowered his wand. "I am trying to help them Percy. It's a little difficult to do when there is only me. Besides the Death Eaters are showing up everywhere I apparate. It's like they have radar or something."

"What's radar? Percy began and then shook his head. "Whatever... its probably a Apparation Locator. Only the Aurors can have them for work. But it's likely that the Dark Lord has them now. It's almost impossible to move around without being found out if that's true." He then stopped and looked around quickly. "Harry then we need to get out of here!"

Harry nodded slowly. "You need to help me get your family out of Azkaban."

"But how?" Percy asked as he turned and pulled a large sack from around the edge of a desk. it looked like he had filled it with whatever was left of his brother's products. Harry could see objects that he knew Fred and George had protected with shield charms. "No one can get into Azkaban and help someone escape. It's impossible!" There was panic in his voice now.

Harry looked over his shoulder through the rubbish to the street. It was still empty. But he had only apparated around the corner and the Death Eater would find him quickly.

"Percy," he said. the man did not turn from his endeavor to pull the sack to him. "PERCY!" He looked into his face with red eyes and stopped his frantic activity. "You are a Gryffindor! You need to be brave now, for your family."

Percy's eyes dropped to the floor and he seemed to be struggling to regain his wits. Hhe finally looked up and nodded. "You're right Harry. You've always been right and I've been a git for what I've done to you."

"It's not important!" Harry said. " What's important now is to save your family. You have to do something for me."

"What ,Harry? What?" Percy asked and dropped the sack. "Anything."

"You have to get hold of a portkey."

"Wha...where...where would I get one?" Percy snorted with derision.

"The Triwizard cup," Harry answered calmly. "Cornelius Fudge has it, or at least he did when the tournament ended and I returned."

Percy's eyes grew wide. "Yes, I've seen it."

"Can you get it?" Harry asked and began to move back through the shop. "Can you sneak it into Azkaban? Go and visit your family? They'll let you have one last visit with them."

"I don't know, Harry." Percy had followed him to the street. In the sunlight, he was so filthy he looked like a burnt stick with two red eyes staring out.

"You've got to try!" Harry said ferociously.

"I will, Harry, I will." Percy stood straight and nodded.

Harry had retrieved his broom and threw a leg over it, now knowing that he could no longer apparate from place to place.

"Where are you going?" Percy called out as he lifted off.

Harry didn't hear the words as he soared away.


	14. Chapter 14

Natasha's note: This is my favorite of all the stories I have written and it was stolen and put on another site by aswin2pravna. I was very upset by that and removed all my stories from all the websites where they were posted. I have since decided to repost a few and I have had excellent response from everyone on this site. Thank you so much for restoring my trust. Natasha

Chapter Fourteen Voldemort's Plan

It was a fine sunny morning and the beginning of August when the heat of the summer was upon them all. The cells of Azkaban did not feel the heat of the outside world. The inhabitants lived in a bleak world made unbearable by the constant vigilance of the Dementors and the despair of no possible escape.

Red fires burned in pits in the dungeons and various kinds of creatures worked and died in them. Sometimes the silence was broken by insane screams from inmates who had been pushed beyond their capacities and limits.

Lupin had not slept. Given his animal-like sensibilities he was more tuned in to his surroundings and also more able to tolerate discomfort. He listened to footsteps coming down the corridor and remained crouched in the darkened corner waiting.

Several large muscular wizards, stripped to the waist, glistening with sweat, followed a Death Eater, masked and wearing a long black robe. The wizard stopped before their cell.

"Open it," he commanded. The half-naked men opened the door and Lupin stood.

"Take the red head."

"Why? What do you want with him?" Lupin asked. Ron had come awake very quickly as soon as their hands gripped him and pulled him from the cell.

"You turn will come Lupin. Fenrir has something special planned for his brother." The Death Eater laughed and spun on his heels and approached the cell next to them. "Take the muggle-born girl," he said and then continued up the corridor. The other muscleman opened the door and reached in to pull Hermione out into the corridor. Fleur was protesting loudly in French and Ginny was holding onto one of Hermione's arms. She was pushed back easily by the muscular arm.

"Don't fight them, Ginny! You'll only get hurt." Lupin said loudly as the door to his cell was thrown shut. "Hermione! Ron! Hang on the best you can!" He clung to the metal as long as he could hear the footsteps as they retreated and then let go and banged his head against the door silently cursing himself. He knew why they had been taken. They were Harry's friends. It was now only hours before their execution was scheduled.

And he had no plan of escape.

------

Harry thought about returning to Grimmauld Place and knew that would be unsafe. There were very few places that were safe and where there was a hope that Snape could follow him or find him. He finally settled on the one he knew and felt comfortable at, and that was Godric's Hollow. It was his only home.

Before going there, he returned to the cemetery where he had met Lupin only a few nights before. He pulled the box from his robe, opened the lid carefully to make sure that the Horcrux was still inside. He knew that Snape would want to destroy it immediately, but somehow Harry knew that if needed, he would trade it for someone's life. He withdrew his wand and concentrated to carefully transfigure the box into a vase. This he placed on a shelf just under the stained glass windows.

Before going, he ran his hand along the marble walls of his parents graves and said goodbye to them. _Maybe my journey ends here, mum...dad. Maybe I won't go any further, _he thought as his fingers caressed the engraved lettering. "Maybe you would be disappointed in me, but I'm going to try and find Azkaban and I'm going to try and save my friends and if I can; I will rid the world of this murderer who took you from me. But I'm afraid," he whispered the words to the wall of names and felt the letters of his own last name surface under his fingertips. And although there were specters and ghosts that wandered the grounds outside the tomb, there were none inside.

"There is very little broom traffic," a deep voice said in the quiet that followed Harry's confession. "Perhaps we should proceed with all haste to Azkaban while we can."

Harry turned around, surprised that Snape was standing there. "How..."

"...did I find you?" Snape finished the sentence for him. "I've been to a dozen places and there will be others-his servants- who will do the same, looking for you. These places are not secrets, Potter and you would do well to remember it. Now, we must leave."

Harry stood with his hand still on the cold marble and studied the man dressed in a long flowing dark robe. He didn't trust him. He'd come away from the Death Eaters in the street unscathed and had found him too quickly. "I would think HE would have more on his mind right now then hunting me down."

Snape turned to leave and said as he ducked his head and stepped out into the sunlight. "I am your only hope, Potter, whether you trust me or not. If you wish to save your friends you will come with me now. We...they... are fast running out of time. The Dark Lord engineered this abduction of all of your friends for the sole purpose of trapping you."

"Why am I so important, Mr. Snape?" He walked through the same door and confronted Snape in the sunlight. Harry continued, "He has what he wanted, everyone is now siding with him. Why all the energy directed towards finding me unless he now knows the whole prophecy? There's only one person who could have told him." He was testing the man and watching to see if he hit a sensitive nerve. Snape had been out of his range and had enough time to report to Voldemort if he were playing both sides.

Snape didn't react. "He is not afraid of you, Potter. I have said this before. He pursues you to see if he can corrupt you- to see if you will abandon your values. That would be an ultimate victory. Albus no longer stands in his way and he wants revenge. You embarrassed him by escaping too many times and he means to make you suffer. He will not be overly concerned if he kills anyone and everyone that has ever been in your presence. Now, time is ticking by and we have a long way to travel."

"What about the Horcrux?" Harry asked calmly, without turning to look at the vase.

Snape shrugged and answered, "It's best if it is not found on us. We're probably going to get captured and killed long before we ever reach the fortress." He looked abnormally pale in the bright sunlight and Harry squinted at him.

Snape ignored the stare and reached for a broom he had leaning against the mausoleum, he continued speaking without looking at Harry, "If we manage to get back we will worry about it then." He mounted his broom and said, "Wear your invisibility cloak from now on. Don't take it off until I tell you to."

Harry realized as he mounted his own broom that Snape had cast a look back at the tomb with a look of longing and desire that Harry felt gooseflesh rise on his arms. _He has been here before_, he thought and then chided himself. _Of course, he's been here; he's still in love with my mum; a dead woman!_

--------------

Voldemort stood on the grass in front of Dumbledore's tomb. Nagini coiled around his feet and the air was thick with the essence of his Dementors; however, none approached him. He stood studying the white stone and periodically would make a circuit around it and then stand before it again.

He was both pleased and displeased that his old nemesis was dead. He had wanted to kill Dumbledore himself and yet was not unhappy that the old teacher was gone and out of the way. He was very unhappy that Dumbledore had discovered his long-protected secret of the Horcruxes and he had spent some time watching the old man's thoughts in the Pensieve.

He now knew that the ring he had taken from his uncle was destroyed. Just thinking about it made him want to resurrect the old wizard once more and kill him again for the sheer pleasure of it.

Voldemort liked to torture others.

Wizards appeared at his side, spoke to him; he gave instructions and the wizards disappeared; and still he stood.

"Nagini," the lips moved but were now so deformed that he hissed as he spoke; and of course, he spoke in parseltongue to her. "We must find the others and protect them. We have lost too much as it is. It was foolish of me to scatter them; I was too naive; too much a muggle." The words came out in a long hiss and snarl that twisted the face into a caricature of a human expression. "Unfortunately there are still wizards and witches that live who know how they are made and how they can be destroyed. However, this particular wizard will not bother us any longer." He turned from the white stone sepulcher and continued to speak to the snake that followed. "We do not know what he taught that horrible Potter boy. We must find him! All of our forces, all our strength must go towards that end."

They continued across the lawns and back towards the castle. Outwardly, Hogwarts had not lost her beauty. She was as magnificent as always, although her windows were dark and the sound of children's voices had been replaced by unlatched shutters banging or the whistle of a low mournful wind through her parapets.

"I have been too rash in trying to kill the child. I will not underestimate his good luck or the fact that he has some skilled wizard or witch helping him. He has eluded me too long and it is not because of his friends or the fact that Dumbledore shielded him." Voldemort stopped and stared down at the snake that slithered through the grass. "There is more here than meets the eye and I will get to the bottom of it and then I will kill him."

The dark wizard walked through the entrance and up the stairs across from the great hall. His footsteps resounded in the school like a man walking through a tomb. The school had been corrupted by the evil dwelling within and now the halls were overrun with rodents. The house-elves had fled and now the apartments of the dark lord were kept by more loathsome creatures and the rest of the school abandoned. Even the ghosts were nowhere to be seen and Peeves had taken to hiding in one of the towers. The snake did not enter but remained outside hunting in the late morning shade. However, there was one figure that stood in the entryway. He had been there for days without food or water and was almost swooning in delirium. It was a young man with very pale hair.

Voldemort stopped before him and grinned devilishly at the plight of the boy. "Goblins from Gringott's will be here momentarily Malfoy. Bring them to my office. Do not delay." The voice was raspy and almost unintelligible.

Draco dropped to his knees, bowed his head and mumbled, "M'lord."

"Afterward go and bath and change your clothing. You stink and offend me. Stay out of my sight until you are called for."' Voldemort turned and pulled his massive cape around so that it whipped Draco's face.

"Thank you, M'Lord," Draco said and remained head bent, on his knees, his lips moving soundlessly. Minutes passed and a group of small creatures appeared at the open doors. Draco was almost unconscious when the first one walked up to him and pushed him over with his hands. The goblins laughed at the sight and one kicked him.

-------------------------

Two wizards dressed in the black robes and masks of the Death Eaters entered Dumbledore's office. Between them, almost unconscious with fear, was Percy Weasley. His eyes rolled in his head and there was spittle at the corner's of his mouth. Voldemort stood before the dark cold fireplace and turned to him. His mouth opened in a silent scream of terror.

"Leave us," The Dark Wizard said. The two Death Eaters left, dropping Percy to the floor. He lay there mewling like a newborn cafe, wiggling and rolling in fear. "Look at me!" He rolled over to his back and his eyes struggled to avoid the unblinking green eyes with the narrow snake pupil. He finally could not control himself any longer and looked directly at Voldemort. "Legilimens!"

An hour later, Voldemort stood looking up at Dumbledore's portrait where the deceased headmaster remained asleep, snoring.

"So the Potter boy goes to Azkaban to rescue his friends," Voldemort mused aloud. Percy lay on the floor and staring with dead eyes into the blackened fireplace. His usefulness gone, Voldemort snuffed out his life.

Bellatrix Lestrange stood quietly waiting for her orders. Her eyes were downcast at the dead boy's body and she studied it like a small boy would study a anthill, gasoline can in hand with lit match, greedy to kill more.

"Have the Potter boy's friends removed to a separate cell. Do nothing about the execution until I give the word." He walked the small circle of the room, studied the Phoenix perch that was empty and put out a gnarled, twisted finger to touch its surface. "Make sure no one makes a mistake. All of them are to be kept alive until he enters the fortress. Make sure he reaches it!"

Bellatrix nodded without looking up into her master's face. "It shall be done my Lord."

"Lucius had a very good idea about rounding them up and taking them there," Voldemort turned to her. "But he has made too many mistakes and I will not trust him with this errand." He reached to the desk and picked up the cup and stroked it; caressed it as a man would a woman. "When he is there and you have him, make sure that he has this in his hands...he must touch it."

"I understand my Lord." She stepped forward one pace and put out a hand to take it.

Voldemort looked at her hand and then at the cup and held it against his chest. "Let me be clear Bella. If you should lose this I will make sure that you suffer for a very long time. You will beg for death before the end and I will not grant it." The last was so much a hiss that the woman finally looked up.

"Do not touch the cup within," he continued. "It is protected and it cannot touch the flesh of anyone but the boy. I will not release you from this duty until it is in his hands and I will know immediately when it is done." Voldemort finally put the small bag in her hands. "When it is finished you shall be rewarded. You shall stand at my side as my second in command."

"Oh, Lord!" Bella looked into his face beaming with joy. "I...I do not deserve such honors. If you so wish it...then it shall be."

"Only after you do this, then the others can be done away with." He turned and sat on a throne-like chair that had been transfigured for his need. "You need not do anything to the boy. He will do what I ask as soon as he has the cup in his hands. Now leave." He slumped into the chair, suddenly petulant and depressed already missing the cup. "Leave my presence and take the that putrescence with you." He waved at the dead body. And before she could move he erupted from the chair, stamped over to the body and looked down at it. "No! Take it to his parents in Azkaban and hang it where they can all see the maggots feed on it."


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter Fifteen Peter

It was late afternoon, almost evening. They stood on the shore of the mainland and looked out to sea. Gulls swerved and dived from above and at their feet was a steep rocky cliff with surf pounding against it. Harry looked at the island that swam in and out of a gray ethereal mist.

_That's it?_ he thought, wondering at the sight before his eyes. He looked over at Snape who looked positively ill. "You rescued my mother and helped her escape," he said loudly above the sound of the pounding waves. "How did both of you get off the island?" It was the first time he had talked about his mother directly with the man.

Snape held his broom in one hand and leaned on it as one would a staff. His eyes never left the island. "We swam."

Harry jerked his head back to look at the ocean and the ravenous, churning waters that stretched to the little piece of land. _Swam!_

"You should know how we did it, Potter. Gilly weed." Snape raised himself up to his full height and once again prepared to mount the broom. "When we get there we must walk to the fortress and try and make our way in. Once we reach the gates they will allow me in since they know me. You will be at my side with the invisibility cloak on. That should be the easy part."

Harry nodded and shifted his broom to another hand. He had been mildly surprised to discover that Snape was a good rider. It had been a long trip taking several hours and he felt cramping in his back and arms. He could only imagine how the older wizard felt and yet, Snape gave no sign of being pain; as always the man's face was unreadable.

"What is it like over there?" he asked.

Snape turned to him and sighed deeply before answering. "There will be patrols so we must go in at dusk. That leaves little time for error. The executions are scheduled for midnight. There are wizards...werewolves walking wolves around the perimeter. Vampires patrol at night."

"Death Eaters...?" Harry began.

He shook his head and talked over Harry's words "...are not wasted in guarding the fortress. The Dark Lord uses them as body guards and to carry out his tasks." He continued to describe the island. " There are bogs along the shores filled with Inferi. We cannot use fire to keep them off us so we must stay to the path. Do not disturb the waters along the way; they sense it."

Harry once again felt himself involuntarily shiver. "What else?"

"As we near the fortress there is a deep chasm where liquid fire burns eternally in the depths. It looks impassable as there is no bridge." Snape studied his face as if looking for weakness. "There is an incantation that few know about in which there is an invisible surface allowing you to walk across the abyss. Once across, Dementors surround and guard the outer walls of the fortress. Wizards riding thestrals also cover the area and use many devices to detect movement. The road itself is treacherous and difficult. One person can do it but the chances of two going across without being seen are small. I think that if you wear the cloak it will help," he finished quickly. "The interior is a maze of halls and corridors and the prisoners are kept below ground in the dungeons. It is a beehive of activity and many creatures abide there. The floor plan changes periodically so that it is easy to lose oneself. There is very little in the way of signs to guide one."

Harry nodded with some trepidation. His mind once again strayed to the journey his mother and Snape had made. "If that's true, how did you get my mother out?"

"I transfigured her into a cat," Snape said patiently. "It's my understanding that you saw the same thing done to Mr. Malfoy by Alastor Moody."

Harry remember the incident clearly. However, this was no laughing matter. "You got her out by turning her into a cat," he stated flatly. "We can't very well do that with all of them." He turned once again and looked at the island hoping that somehow Percy had managed to find the Triwizard's cup and take it to the island. He didn't want to tell Snape in case Percy had failed.

"No, we can't," Snape replied succinctly. "We will have to come up with a plan. If we turn loose all of the prisoners that may be enough to cause confusion and a few can escape. I can distract them while you go down to the dungeons in your cloak and free them. I will try to think of a better plan as we go. We know of two people now who escaped Azkaban, one was your godfather, Sirius Black. Do you know how he did it?" The dark eyes watched him carefully.

Harry nodded. "He was an animagi and escaped by transforming into a dog."

"I thought as much," Snape said and turned to look out over the bubbling , frothy sea.

Harry felt that their plans, were, at the best, poor and yet knew that they had to go on. "Do I need to know anything else? I assume that we need to be stealthy and not have any conversations while were moving about. Won't they see us come in on brooms?"

"We are on the far side of the island, which means that there are fewer patrols. We must keep close to the water so that we may be mistaken for birds." Snape threw his leg over his broom. "Potter...these wizards are formidable. It is likely that Lucius Malfoy is there to manage the wardens. Do not let your guard down for a moment. Every type of magic is used and it serves many purposes. You may easily be deceived. Make sure that you know who you are speaking to. Test them. Do you understand?"

Harry thought he understood very well. He'd had experience with Polyjuice Potion and knew that he could easily be deceived.

"There's something else." Snape reached for the neck of Harry's broom and stopped him from lifting off. "Understand that if we are not successful there is still a task left undone."

Harry knew exactly what he was talking about. "You don't have to tell me."

Snape glared at him, "You don't have any idea Potter of the horror of defeat; particularly of what will happen, not just to your friends but to the whole wizarding world. HE will conquer it all and leave no muggle-born alive and will move on to half-bloods like us."

"Like us?" Harry stuttered, shocked by the words.

Snape nodded and said, "Your mother made enormous personal sacrifices to stop this and she left you a legacy. You may not want the weight of it on your shoulders but it has been placed there nevertheless."

"What do you know of it? Who are you to preach to me?!" Harry asked, suddenly angry. "You've pounded at me from day one, picking away at me like a big vulture. "Why?! How could you? You helped my mother escape from certain death...loved her; and yet, you have been cruel to me since I walked into Hogwarts. And now you have the nerve to remind me about my duty? I would do this if I had to swim across that sea without Gilly weed. I will find a way to kill Voldemort if it is the last thing I do."

"Are you prepared to die, Potter?' Snape asked, eyebrow raised.

"Yes," Harry answered defiantly. "I am."

"Horribly?"

"I refuse to give up until the moment of my death. What about you?"

"I have laid my life on the line more times then I can count," Snape said. "I have been fighting this war longer then you have been alive. I do, however, have a sense of survival and I've managed to do it against all odds. Whether we like each other or not is not the issue. However, it is most important that you survive and I am your best guide. Believe me I do not care for the companionship anymore then you. I am a realist Mr. Potter. I recognize that you are the tool to achieve success- if that is possible. It would be in your best interest to do as I say and not go at this as without restraint and self-control."

_You bloody, Git! _Harry thought and bit his tongue. "I have no wish for power or glory, something that you have accused me of from the beginning. I am with you because my mother trusted you and loved you. That was a long time ago and I'm not at all sure that your motives haven't been corrupted. I am here because I have no choice. I have no idea why you are with me..."

Snape jerked the broom handle, his face changed dramatically. "What? What did you say?"

Harry shook his broom free and prepared to lift off. "Yes, that's right!" He understood what had shocked the man, "Yes, she loved you. It was in her letter to me. Obviously, she saw something that no one else could see. She was your friend, she trusted you and defended you. She risked losing her friends, even her husband-my father, because of her loyalty to you." Harry lifted off a foot from the ground and hovered.

He looked down into his ex-teacher's astonished face and shouted, "Do you know how that hurts me? I have never known her touch, the sound of her true voice, or to look into her face. I haven't treated you badly or hate you because of it even though you are the cause of their deaths." He continued to rage against the man, shouting against the thunder of the sea, " I will treat my friends like she did. I'll do anything for them...like she did. I will even treat you the way she would have. But you weren't a true friend to her were you? You did something...something you know that would have hurt her badly if she had known... and she never did, did she? Oh yes, Mr. Snape, I know about it. She knew in her heart that you felt ashamed about something and you couldn't tell her. She tried to make you tell her didn't she? She tried so hard to help you and you deceived her."

Snape's head was thrown back as he looked up and there was a look of wretched despair that flashed over his face.

"You didn't love her; you wanted to possess her. So you told Voldemort about the prophecy in hopes that my father and I would be killed and then she would have you to turn to in her grief. That's not love, that's self-serving and greedy. You can never say your sorry to her for your horrible betrayal; you can never take it back, and I will never forgive you." He choked back the torrent of words threatening to force themselves out and turned away from his former hated teacher. "I'll accept your help until my task is done because I don't know enough and I'm unskilled, but I won't take your abuse anymore. Once it is done, then I think it would be best if we don't cross paths again!"

"Is that a threat, Potter?' Snape asked. His face had turned to a stony glare.

"If that's how you want to hear it, so be it." Harry said staring down on him. "I loath you, I pity anyone who has to be near you and depend on you. Once this is done we will owe each other nothing! If you choose to abandon me now; then do it. I'm going to go and try and save my friends!" Harry took off and headed to the island, riding low with is feet just gliding over the waves below and didn't turn back.

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His mother's voice whispered from the pages as he sat in the sunlight from the window and went through the diary.

"...he was noble and courageous in helping me escape Azkaban," she said of Snape. "You cannot imagine how horrible it was and how much pain and suffering the inmates endured. He risked so much for me and in turn I believe him to be a friend. As a friend, I will love him like I do my other friends and I will do what I must do to keep them all safe. This is not about heroics my son, never let it be about heroics. Let your friends be like family, where every drop of their blood that is spilled is like a drop of your own. You can't survive without them. You're twice as strong if you have friends then if you are alone and there is a magic to it that even the purist blooded wizard would not understand.

Oh, how I miss, Remus in times like these. He was always the peacemaker; always the one who could talk sense in to your father. James came to respect my feelings for Severus even though he despised the man. I cannot tell you how much grief that caused me since this was the man that had saved my life and yours. We live in such dark times. The one man I thought would betray me was the one who saved me and the one I loved with all my heart, and he disappeared and left us all to our destiny." Her voice trailed off into a mournful sigh and did not pick up until he turned the page and read on.

_Yes mum, friends are important. Sadly, I'm glad you didn't live to find out how many of those friends lied to you and betrayed you, _Harry replied in his own mind.

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Peter Pettigrew was on several missions; one that was not directed by his master and one that was. He had played the role of traitor many times and knew the subtleties of it. He realized that he was deceiving his master and yet he knew that he had a debt to repay. It was a debt that could not be ignored and might mean his own death. However, Peter believed that his finest talent was cleverness and sneakiness. If at all possible he was going to complete the task and return to his master's side in a very short time. When the actual events occurred, they would be blamed on Malfoy.

Peter reached for the dead body of the Weasley boy and prepared to do a side-along apparation. This was the task his master had sent him to do; to take the dead body to Azkaban. A task that was abhorrent even for someone as low as he. However, it provided an opportunity to complete his other secret task. He pulled the object from its hiding place and with a wave of his wand, transformed it into a much smaller object which he hid within the body cavity. He studied the effects and decided that no one would ever search the body and therefore it would remain undetected. Satisfied with the results, he groaned and reached for the dead boy's arm. Side-along apparation with a corpse was said to be fairly disgusting, and he was not looking forward to it. He had only to touch with his fingers and then disapparate. He would later recall the sensation of coldness when his flesh mingled with that of the dead boy; a sensation that lasted for a very long time.

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Remus had not slept through the previous two nights and was becoming more agitated. The new full moon was not far away. He mentally laughed at that as he thought about it. Upon consideration it was the least of his worries considering that they were all scheduled for execution, as the Daily Prophet was now claiming twice a day in the paper, at midnight that very night. He was sure that what was written would not be actually what happened within the confines of the prison. There was no one here that was going to give details to the outside world and he was sure as he sat in his empty cell that his fate was going to be much worse then the others.

He had just finished the roll call that he made every hour, on the hour, so that people would continue to talk to each other and stay in contact when they could. It helped to hear the sound of other people after the Dementors had left the area. He was just beginning to feel the warmth, what little there was of it, return to the air when another figure emerged dead center in the corridor. Lupin peered through the slits in the metal door and immediately felt an animalistic rage flood his entire body.

"Pettigrew, you rat!" he shouted and threw himself bodily against the door. "Dare to open this stinking door Peter, just once, and I will rip you apart!"

Others along the corridor chimed in. It wasn't until Lupin heard Molly Weasley's shriek that he knelt and looked through the opening again. Peter was using his wand to lift a body to hang on the wall. And with increasing horror, Lupin realized that it was hanging across from Molly and Arthur's cell and that it was the body of their son, Percy Weasley.

"My god, Peter," he shouted. "What have you become you loathsome creature!"

Ginny screamed and Lupin could tell that Fleure was trying to console her. Molly was in hysterics and the twins and Bill were shouting out foul language at the small shaggy wizard who had transformed from his animagi form to his human form.

Peter ignored their curses and taunts and hurried to Lupin's cell. He waved his wand and unlocked the door and simultaneously waved it again and silenced Lupin, pressing him up against the back wall. "I don't have time, Remus," he muttered in terror. "I'm leaving you something. Potter is coming for you and the Dark Lord has set a trap. I didn't kill the Weasley boy. We took this from him when he was captured. Now I must go. My debt is paid. tell Harry that. My debt is paid." He stepped back, his wand still pointed at Lupin who was wiggling under the spell that held him trapped and silent against the wall.

The door clanged shut . The torches along the walls continued to flare bright and Lupin threw himself across the floor as soon as Pettigrew withdrew the incantation. He watched as the wizard stood outside his cell and waved his wand one more time. The dead body on the wall convulsed and a small yellow light floated from it and into Remus' cell. As soon as it was done Peter scuttled down the corridor with the Weasley family shrieking at him in their grief.

Remus turned and dropped to the floor with his bottom on the cold hard-packed soil and he looked at the object Pettigrew that had transformed and placed on the floor of his cell. It was the Triwizard cup.

_A portkey! _he whispered in awe


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter Sixteen Dobby

Voldemort, now almost soulless, could not feel love or remorse or guilt. He was cold, calculating and hungry; devouring. His hunger lay in ruining everything that was ruinable, and in watching suffering because it amused him. He enjoyed making the wizarding world fearful of him and was even now enjoying an interview with his 'superior', the Minister of Magic.

Scrimgeour, was not normally a cringing, pathetic man who could be easily frightened. After all he was an ex-Auror, a dark wizard catcher with a reputation in his own right of being courageous and brave. Voldemort was enjoying the change that had come over the wizard.

"If you have these children executed the pureblood community will be up in arms," the wizard was saying. He stood in the large room that had once been Dumbledore's and did not look directly at the dark lord. His stature was somehow diminished in the presence of the dark wizard.

"Let them try. I do not care," Voldemort said. "They will not take action to stop me. Can't you see Minister, they don't want trouble. They want to pretend that they are immune to what happens to the half-bloods and the muggle-born. All I am doing is complying with their inner-most wishes. I am cleansing our world of impure wizards and witches. How, I go about it is not their concern. It is no more important then using a Scourgifying Charm to rid themselves of dirt on their clothes. You've been around them, Rufus. They strut about as if they are nobility." Voldemort sniffed. "I have seen it all my life; as you have."

Scrimgeour's face was a shade of pale green. He stood, feet apart, his yellow eyes searching the room rather then meeting with Voldemort's. He played restlessly with his hat. "These are purebloods that you execute. The Weasley's are purebloods and Arthur worked for the Ministry. It will not go unnoticed. the Daily Prophet is reprinting everything it has on this, nonstop- day after day." He tried again. "There are few pureblood wizards and witches anymore. They all cannot be...removed," he choked suddenly.

Voldemort snorted and ignored his comment. "They have harbored a criminal in their midst, consorted with the murderer Sirius Black, and have been traitorous members of an underground criminal organization that attacks the Ministry." Voldemort waved a hand airily at him. "The Weasley's are not important. People's minds will turn to other matters soon after." Voldemort grinned, a rather sadistic, horrific grin with what was left of his mouth and Scrimgeour caught it. "They will be concerned with their own survival," he hissed gleefully.

"Let me have the youngest child, the girl," Scrimgeour pleaded. "She is not a member of the Order, she was never initiated. It will look like you are being generous..." he didn't finish his plea before Voldemort interrupted.

"I DO NOT WANT TO BE GENEROUS!" Voldemort raged suddenly. He seethed silently for a minute and then leaned in over the desk and glared at the Minister. "You will do what I say and execute them tonight at midnight as planned or until I tell you otherwise Rufus or I will find a replacement for you. Do not be deceived, you will not be missed either. Now leave my presence and carry out my orders."

Scrimgeour backed out of the room and slipped down the moving stairs and through the hallways of Hogwarts. He moved quickly feeling more relief the further he got from the dark wizard. "My god, we are all done for," he whispered and shoved his hat on his head as he headed out into the late afternoon showers that had suddenly come up and covered the castle in gloom.

Voldemort did not realize that he, himself, was at a disadvantage. He stood in the room and admired it and his possession of it and thought about all he had conquered. Even the fact that had lost three Horcruxes-the diary, the locket and the ring-did not overly concern him. He had made six. He had given one to Bella Lestrange so that he could take a predatory type of possession of Harry Potter when he touched it. Voldemort knew that to try and enter directly into Harry's mind was torturous. The boys' mind was filled with the sharp thorns of emotions and feelings, morals and ethics. He had, himself, shed such values, like a snake shedding its skin, when he split the pieces of his soul into six different objects.

He didn't feel anything- his inner world was drab, cold and empty- and in his outer world; he did feel a certain self-satisfaction that things were going very well and he need only take a few more actions and things would fall nicely into place. The world would be at his disposal to do as he pleased, like a king sitting before a feast.

He had learned something very valuable from his friends the Dementors; he had learned the kiss of death. He had only to find the boy and he would supplement his own decreasing hoard of soul pieces and introduce Potter's, all fresh and whole. Voldemort grinned to himself, after all, _we are 'soul-mates'_, he thought devilishly to himself.

He stared out the window and watched Scrimgeour scurry across the grounds to the gates as he thought over things and wanted to reach out and squash the Minister like a June bug under his foot. _Patience, patience_, he told himself. _The fifth Horcrux will be in my hands as soon as the goblins opened the vault at Gringott's_.

Harry, on the other hand, was having a sudden emotional crisis. He was deathly worried, angry, and afraid. He and Snape kept having these arguments, low rumblings of something that might end up in an outright duel before the time was up. Harry knew he needed him, needed him desperately; but he couldn't give up his anger and couldn't rid himself of the distrust the man engendered.

He landed on a sharp precipice on the island and dropped immediately to his knees. He wore the cloak and knew that no one could see him. He removed it from his face so that Snape could find him. The wizard was very careful about spiraling up towards the cliff on his flight-path where Harry lay resting. Harry hid his broom and waited until Snape walked by and then whispered, "Here."

Snape knelt on one knee and continued to scan the area. Neither spoke of the conversation they had just had. "We are some distance from the path that cuts across the island and leads to the fortress." Snape whispered, " Keep your cloak on and follow. If I am approached, do nothing, I will handle it."

Harry nodded and then both crouched low as they saw a shadow flying overhead. It was too large for a wizard and thestral and Harry knew the shape of it before he had even had a good look. It was a dragon.

Snape clenched his jaw as soon as he saw it and stepped out under the shadows of the boulders and began to climb. The rock was volcanic and had sharp edges that tore at their boots and sliced through cloth. Harry immediately wrapped his hands in folds of the cloak and felt sweat break out as he moved. The cloth was invisible but not cool and the sun beat down on him in suffocating waves of heat as they moved.

The going was very difficult and an hour later when they reached the path he felt very little relief. It was hardly more then a game trail. The advantage was the light. In midsummer they would have a dusky daylight until early evening. After that if they had not reached the fortress, they would run the risk of getting lost on the labyrinth that was called a trail. Harry groaned to himself. _I'll never find my way out if I have to come back this way,_ he thought and hurried to keep up as Snape rounded another grove of trees with roots that sought to pull them down and into the swampy mud and pools of water that lay stagnant beside the road.

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The fortress was chiseled out of the black obsidian stone of the island and rose like a single deadly sharp spire into the air. A twisted staircase that resembled the roots of a dead gnarled tree wound upwards on the outside until it reached doors that were of the darkest black that sunlight seemed to be absorbed on its surface. It looked like nothing more then a skeletal scorched hand reaching to the sky in tortured supplication.

Guards stood there, at the massive front doors. Ordinarily, they weren't needed as the prison easily held its inmate population and their tormentors. No one worried about attack from without as no one had ever wanted to get in; and all activity was directed towards keeping the inmates inside. The patrols were, therefore, few and far between. They had also been forewarned that Harry Potter would try and get to his friends and so no one wanted to run into him unexpectedly and have to put up a battle and possibly harm him. They had their orders.

Wizards walked wolves on chains and kept them quieted with incantations. There were wizards on thestrals that circled the island and the dragon was allowed to fly freely. They did not search diligently with their keen eyes or they would have seen the a figure that moved along the edges of the path which was not guarded.

The warden of the prison, who was joined by Lucius Malfoy, entertained themselves in the upper towers rooms, which were more hospitable and well kept. The whole of the island could be seen from the balconies that hung suspended from the towering walls.

Lucius was in a rank mood as he stood and listened to Bellatrix Lestrange's instructions. She stood there smirking at him and holding an object wrapped in a cloth in her arms.

He hated her presence. It only served to remind him that he served a master. What he wanted more than anything was to rule himself. He did not give voice to that wish and purposely suppressed it even in her presence. There were wizards who were gifted in Legilimency and some even who 'sensed' such thoughts- and this particular thought would get him killed in a very ugly way.

"Everything is in place, Bella," Lucius said crisply. He disliked his sister-in-law. Where his wife had grace and beauty much like a beautiful porcelain figurine; Bella was coarse and mentally unstable. "Have you heard from Snape? He was to find the Potter boy and bring him to the island; but he has given us no warning."

Bella grinned and ignored the beaten-down warden who sat in a corner of the luxury suite. He worked very hard to not look directly at either of them as they conversed.

"Do you trust him, Lucius?" Bella asked, concerning Snape.

Malfoy raised an imperial eyebrow and turned away from her to sip at his goblet of wine and pose dramatically. He liked the thought that he presented an impressive profile to her. "I do not trust anyone Bella, even you."

She grinned and took a goblet off the tray presented by a grayish house-elf and asked, "You have the girl and boy, his friends, where the Potter boy can find them?" She knew how Lucius felt about her and liked to rub it in.

Malfoy turned to her and frowned. "Shut your stupid mouth, Bella. I have no choice in your being here but I don't have to put up with you and I don't have to discuss my plans. I am in charge of capturing him and once that is done you may have him. Until then, leave my presence before I do something ugly and uncivilized to you."

Her grin dropped from her face and she sipped her wine and glared at him over the rim of the cup. "Are you not interested in MY plans, Lucius?" She asked cradling the cloth-covered object possessively like an infant and rocked it in front of him. "The Dark Lord trusts me with a very precious object and with the task of the boy. You have angered him with your mistakes and he is not pleased with you. You cannot hurt me brother-in-law." She pulled her dark skirts around her and stepped to the balcony to confront him. "Save your threats for someone else. They don't scare me." She stuck her index finger in the wine and then laid it on her tongue that was stuck out in the air at him and licked it sensuously.

His eyes lingered on the wrapped bundle in her arms and then turned away in disgust and anger.

A house elf popped into the room and groveled at the wizard's feet.

"What is it?!" Lucius growled, his face clouded with thunderheads.

"The Minister of Magic calls for you. He is in the outer receiving chamber," the elf whined pitifully.

Lucius walked the few steps into the room and shouted at the warden. "As soon as someone sees them I want an immediate report. IMMEDIATE! Do you understand?!" He left the room and slammed the door so that his sister-in-law's raucous laugh was shut off.

-------------------

Lupin dared not touch the Triwizard's cup, nor did he tell the others that he had it. He stared at it and scratched at his unshaved face. His worry was not for himself but for the others and particularly Harry. He knew that the wizarding world's salvation rested on Harry's shoulders and Remus was angry with himself for having left him in Snape's hands. He didn't trust Snape, actually hated the man, and yet knew that he would not harm Harry. He had taken an oath to protect him and he could do nothing else.

Remus chewed on his lip and once again paced the small earthen-floored cell. It did him no good but he couldn't work out his frustration any other way except to howl up at an unseen moon and he knew the others would be frightened if he did, thinking he'd fallen into madness. The temptation was there nonetheless.

"Professor, sir?" a small voice whispered through the crack in the door and interrupted his thinking.

Lupin knelt cautiously at the door and looked out through the slit. He could see the top of a bald head with a few strange hairs sticking out at the crown and enormous ears wiggling on each side_. A house elf! _he thought and sat back on his heels in astonishment. "Who is it?"

"It's Dobby sir," the elf whispered. "Dobby is a friend of Harry Potter, sir."

Lupin gripped the door and pressed his face to the opening. He remembered the house elf that Harry had freed from servitude under Lucius Malfoy. "How did you get here Dobby?" he whispered back in astonishment.

"Dobby is sent by Harry's friend," the elf mumbled. "The witch they are keeping in the tower. She is with Weesey, Harry's Weesey."

_Ron and Hermione! _Lupin almost laughed aloud in delight and then pressed his face deeper into the opening. "Are they harmed? Have they been harmed Dobby?"

"No, sir," Dobby shook his head violently. "Dobby comes with a message, sir."

"Dobby can you get me out?"

"Dobby, can't sir," the elf sighed mournfully. "The doors in Azkaban open to a wizard's wand only Sir. Dobby cannot wield a wand." The elf glanced down the carved out dark stone of the corridor where the torches were now burning brightly looking slightly frightened. "You know what they would do to us Sir if we were caught."

"Who is it Lupin?" Arthur Weasley asked quietly from a cell further down the corridor. "Who are you talking to?'

Lupin eased his grip on the bars and studied the elf. "How did you get here Dobby?"

"We come here looking for work when Dumbledore died and they caught everyone. Dobby knows what the Dark Wizard is doing sir," Dobby's ears were almost fluttering in his agitation. "Our old master is here and has enslaved us once again. He has broken wizarding law." Dobby looked downright murderous as he turned back tot he cell. "The Dark One means to kill you all, and he means to trap Harry Potter. We must save Harry Potter, sir."

"Yes, Dobby we must save Harry and we have to help Harry's Weesey and Hermione and everyone here. I think I have a way but I have to get out first."

The elf took a step back and Lupin could see him more clearly. "Dobby cannot open the door, Professor sir. We have told you. But it is not necessary for you to worry. Dobby brought Dumbledore's wand to Harry's Weesey sir. Harry's friends mean to escape and come and fetch you." The elf smiled.

"You did?! That's wonderful Dobby!" Lupin gasped in surprise. _Dumbledore's wand! Who would have thought, _he said to himself, and, _who would have ever guessed that an elf would have taken such initiative._

"You're very smart Dobby, very smart," he added and watched the elf lower his eyes and blush. A moment later he popped out of sight.

Lupin waited until everyone was completely silent before he began to feverishly whisper his plan to them.

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Harry watched Snape move through the vegetation and over the terrain with great stealth and cunning. He followed, hidden by the cloak. There was plenty of time to think about what he knew about the man. Snape had driven Remus Lupin away from his friends, from his mother. He had also been the one to reveal the prophecy to the dark lord in hopes that Harry's father would be killed and he himself would be killed leaving the path free for Snape to win over his mother. Harry knew that it would have been impossible. he had heard in her own words that she adored his father. Nevertheless here he was, with this very man, trusting him with his life.

Harry knew that it was likely Snape was leading him to his death. Snape had even told him that Voldemort had set a trap by kidnapping Lupin, the Weasley's and Hermione and Ron. He told himself that he would have come to Azkaban no matter what, and when it came down to it, he would manipulate the man and tell him what he wanted to hear so that he could get just a little further along towards reaching that goal. He didn't like himself for it but knew that Snape wouldn't hesitate to do the same. The man had not changed, Harry was sure of it. As soon as the wind changed direction, so would his loyalties.

They walked steadily and climbed towards the center of the island. The fortress, itself, could be seen almost immediately from any part of the island. Harry gazed up through the heavy canopy of vegetation and struggled under the claustrophobic cloak. The walking was sometimes over rough, hard ground and at other times through swampy grass and sticky mud. The trail was barely visible.

At one point they ducked into brush that lined the path. Gigantic trees hung over it and obscured the view for long periods of time. A group of wizards, Harry knew to be werewolves, walked their canine companions down the trail towards the ocean front from which he and Snape had come several hours before.

Harry was surprised that the animals, if not the very sensitive noses of the werewolf wizards, could not detect their presence. He watched Snape perform a small wave of his wand and it seemed that they were almost invisible to the group that walked by within a very short distance. They waited long after the group of three had passed.

"I am going to try and keep you alive, Potter," Snape said unexpectedly as they sat in the recesses of the roots of one large tree. "I was ordered to bring you here by the Dark Lord. However, it was not my intent to turn you over to his Death Eaters."

Harry pulled the cloak down from his face and studied the man.

Snape continued to stare out through the foliage as he talked. "You were right about something. I did do something to your mother that I have long regretted. I am also responsible for her death." The last caught in his throat and he turned his dark eyes to Harry. "But I did promise your mother that I would take care of you and I have never failed in that promise over these many years."

Harry frowned and searched the face and mumbled the question, "What are you saying?"

"I have watched you since Dumbledore took you from Godric's Hollow and left you on the doorstep of your aunt's house," Snape replied.

Harry fell back in astonishment. "You...have watched me?" he gasped and studied the man while a thousand thoughts and a thousand questions flooded his mind. "Not Dumbledore?"

Snape nodded and turned away. "I will not let them have you now. I know it is in your mind and I can't say anything that will persuade you to trust me. They expect me to signal them when we arrived. We're not meeting with any resistance because they expect us and that is in our favor at the moment." He looked out through the low branches and spoke again, "However, if they still do not have a signal from me in a short time, then Lucius will become suspicious and a full hunting party will turn out. Our chances of survival will grow very slim then."

Harry nodded to show he understood.

"We'll do as we planned. I will go to the front gates and you'll follow in your cloak. Slip in around me when they confront me. I'll make an excuse as to why I didn't send a signal."

"What will happen to you?" Harry asked, pulling himself to a crouching position as Snape was doing.

The man shook his head slowly. "That is not your concern. Take the gallery to the left and follow it down to the dungeons, that's where the prisoners are held. Always go left and then right and then left at each intersection. When you return do the same- left and right and left, not the reverse. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded and Snape stepped out into the cool blue shadows of the overgrowth and vegetation. "We won't speak again for awhile. If you should make it to the dungeons the speak these words and it will open the cells; 'There is no escape, There is no return.'

I cannot guide you further. Depend on Lupin or Arthur Weasley's help. Understand Potter that you cannot save them all. They have no wands and there are too many to bring back over the path. You must choose who you will save."

Harry thought about the words. Somewhere in his heart he knew that would be the case but Snape had put it into hard, sharp, painful words. "You're sacrificing yourself," he finally managed. "You talk about being a survivor but you are deliberately sacrificing yourself. Why?"

Snape squinted at him and without answering grabbed him by the front of his cloak and pulled him out from under the tree and along the uneven pathway into the deepening shade. They were nearing the gorge that functioned as a moat and Harry could already smell the odor of rotten eggs that he knew was the smell of sulphur from the volcanic extrusions below.

"Potter," Snape was very close and still gripped his cloak in his hands. "You must leave them behind, and the island, and save yourself if you see that there is no escape. You can't save them all if you intend to save the world."

Harry studied the face and shook free from the grasp. "I am always better off when my friends are with me," he said recalling his mothers words. He found them filling his mouth. "There is a magic to it that few understand."

Snape paused and stared at him and then turned and broke through the brush that hid the precipice below them. Harry followed and then took an immediate step backwards. The gorge was before them and thousands of feet deep. It took his breath away to look down into it.

It looked like nothing more than the mouth of hell with the geysers spitting molten lava and steam into the air and the pools of cooling rock that jutted up like razor sharp teeth. Snape's feet were on the edge. Normally, just his weight would have broken the loose rock and sent him spinning down into that flaming, smoking mouth. There was nothing there that suggested that they could just walk across the gorge without falling in.

Harry held his breath and watched as the wizard turned once to him. "This is when they will see me and send word that we are here," he said, "make sure you are covered." And then he stepped out into midair and walked across the gorge. Harry closed his eyes and placed a foot out and down. There was solid ground. He followed.

The sun was now nearing the horizon and the insects were abuzz. Bats were coming out to feed on them and the narrow, stony gully in which they walked almost seemed like another universe to Harry. He was hot and the way was difficult, the stone cut into his feet even through his leather boots and the area was featureless, just massive boulders of sharp volcanic rock and sparse weedy grasses. They were at the foot of the fortress and had begun the climb up the narrow stairs to the entrance.

-------------------------

Hermione and Ron were working their way down from a the dizzying heights of a tower to the main levels, and attempting to find their way into the prisoner cells. the going was very difficult without being seen. Hermione held the wand and Ron followed.

In a moment of rest, Ron checked the hallway and whispered, "Do you have an idea about what to do if we find them?"

Hermione shook her head. "Not the faintest. I'm hoping that we can collect enough wands to arm a few people like your dad and Lupin and Tonks. We may have to fight our way out of this." She had already 'lifted' a wand from a passing wizard by stunning him and then binding him and hiding him away. She hoped they would have time before he was discovered and she also hoped that they would at least be able to do the same to several others.

Without their knowledge, Harry was almost at the front doors of the prison, they were very close to the same position from within and Lupin was waiting for someone to show up to unlock his door.

"Hermione," Ron stopped again. They both waited for the chill of the Dementor to pass them. it was a long distance from them but the chill of its presence still had an effect. "Ugh that was too close."

"Just remember if they get near that you really need to concentrate about emptying your mind. Especially try and make yourself feel calm. They'll sense us."

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled. He'd heard the warning at least a dozen times. "Hermione if we can only save a few people...if there is a fight..."

She looked at him with soft warm eyes and patted him on the arm. They both knew what he was trying to say. "It's okay."

"No, Hermione, let me finish." he gripped her arm and squeezed hard. "You and Ginny get out. I mean it. If they capture us..."

She nodded soothingly and patted him again. "Alright, Ron, alright."

Another wizard passed them and Hermione silently sent a stunning spell his way. There was very little noise when he dropped to the floor. "There. Now you have one," she said and smiled at Ron. There only problem was beginning to be where to dispose of bodies.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen Snape

Harry almost stepped off the edge of the steps that led up to the doors of Azkaban and that would have been a disaster; it was a long way down. He was startled when they arrived at the doors and the guards stopped them, just in time for the massive door to swing open and for the Minister of Magic, Scrimgeour to come stumbling out with Lucius Malfoy just behind him.

Scrimgeour was shouting and waving a black ebony cane at Malfoy. "You cannot execute those people!" he shouted. "I swear Malfoy, if I have to round up everyone I know and show up here at midnight, I will do it!"

Lucius noticed Snape's appearance and blinked once before returning his sour gaze to Scrimgeour. "And what would that do, Rufus? You couldn't lay siege to this fortress if you had a hundred thousand wizards at your back. It is impenetrable. I will do the Dark Lord's bidding, as you will and we will not talk about it further." His jaw was set and he waited until Scrimgeour shoved a rumpled hat on his head and disapparated from the spot.

The pale eyes turned to Snape. "Where have you been?" he asked coldly, "And where is Potter? You were suppose to signal when you arrived."

Snape did not cower before the look. "Shall we talk inside, Lucius?" He glanced at the two wizards who stood guard.

Harry waltzed around the two men remembering a set of dance steps that he had used once a long time before it seemed at the Triwizard Ball. They all moved at the same time and it took this fancy footwork for him to enter the prison ahead of both of them.

"You had better have a good reason why he is not with you, Severus," Lucius snapped. "Bella is upstairs and you know how I hate it when she hangs around to gloat about something. She always puts me in a foul mood."

"The boy is on the island," Snape said.

Harry waited just long enough to hear them continue the conversation while he studied the walls for signs. He saw the hallway that led off the black marbled entryway and started for it.

"So why isn't he with you?" Lucius asked continuing through the foyer towards a set of winding steps. "We're up in the north tower. Follow me," he continued. "And where the devil have you been for the last week?!" It was clear that Lucius was in distinctly poisonous mood.

"I was followed by several Aurors trying to complete the task you assigned me," Snape answered and stopped. He went on when Malfoy turned back to listen with one foot on one stair and the other on the one below it. "Potter is in his invisibility cloak and hidden on the beach. He is waiting for me to signal him..." Snape was saying.

"It's time to drop the pretense that you are helping him..." Lucius remarked and then with more interest, "Did you bring it with you?" He turned to continue the climb without waiting for a reply.

Harry was beyond their words as he sped down the tunnel-like hall and took a set of stone stairs leading downward that hugged the wall as it curved into the downward into the dark.

Hermione and Ron were on a direct collision course with Malfoy and Snape and came around the corner of the stairway as the two were going up. It was Snape that saw them first and suddenly pulled at Malfoy's arm to turn him away. "Lucius, did you know why the Dark Lord wanted the locket?!"

Malfoy pulled his arm free. "What has gotten into you, Severus? You know that I don't know. Did you learn something from Bird? Why does he want the locket?" Malfoy was now very interested.

Hermione pulled Ron into a small niche that had a large hole in the center and only enough room at the edges to press up against the wall and not fall in. The niche was completely void of light except for what flooded in from the doorway.

"The Dark Lord made a Horcrux," Snape said calmly. Ron gritted his teeth in fury and Hermione shook her head at him. They were wedged just inside the door and standing precariously on the edge of the hole.

Malfoy seemed to be stunned by the news. "What? What are you saying?"

Snape glanced up the stairs and nodded and proceeded ahead of Malfoy who followed immediately. Snape moved him past the door of the niche, speaking all the while. "That's right. I learned a great deal from Potter while I've been with him."

They continued talking as they climbed.

"He made more than one Lucius..." Snape continued. Once past the door he waved at them from behind his back. It was a signal to move on.

"Did you hear that?!" Ron asked rhetorically in a raspy whisper. "He's just spilling the whole thing out to that...that...to Malfoy. Bloody git!" He moved to step around her and she grabbed his cloak.

She kept him from falling into an immense hole that filled the entire space. They had barely saved themselves from falling into it in the dark in the first place.

He looked down at his feet that were very near the edge. "What is this place anyway?"

"It's called a murderers hole, Ron. A convenient way to get rid of unwanted visitors," she whispered. "Come on. There are probably all kinds of traps in this place. Do you smell that?" she gasped and covered her mouth and nose.

He nodded as they moved down the stairs. "Yeah. The place is a nightmare. Imagine being sent here as a prisoner?" He shook his head and took her hand. "What about that Snape? What'd you think?"

"He could've given us away, Ron and he didn't. He was distracting Malfoy." She pulled him out into the dim light of the corridor and started down the stairs once again. "We can't worry about it now."

"It's gonna be impossible to find our way around in here." They both searched the walls for signs. There were none. "We need to get off these stairs before we run into someone else. I don't think there are many more of those...murderers holes." He gulped. "Least, I hope not."

She nodded in agreement and winced as they heard noise from above and below. They moved quickly and yet stealthily. The last encounter had been very close.

Once down on the main floor and the foyer of the prison, they circled it. _Gotta go down_, Hermione thought and then found the dank hallway that led downwards. She pulled at Ron's robes and together began the descent into Azkaban's hell.

----------------------------

Harry was not moving as quickly. Spider webs covered the walls and hung like shrouds from the ceiling. He knew what that meant.

Voldemort sat in his chair as the evening light faded. The house elf, one of few that remained in Hogwarts, was standing before him.

"What is your name elf?" he hissed.

"Kreacher, master. We are called Kreacher."

"Who do you serve?" Voldemort asked.

"We serve the master of Hogwarts," Kreacher cried and pulled at his ears anxiously.

Voldemort smiled with what was left of his slanted reptilian mouth. He was pleased with the answer. "Show Mr. Slughorn in, Kreacher. He is a guest and we do not wish to leave him waiting in the hallway."

Kreacher bowed in small jerky convulsive moves as he back-walked to the door.

Horace Slughorn waddled into the room. A pleasant smile was frozen on his face as if he had pasted it there just before entering the room and was using all his will to keep it in place.

"Hello my friend," Voldemort said and gestured to a chair nearby. "Sit. We have much to discuss."

Slughorn, who had made it a habit of befriending people in high places was now and had been contemplating the error of his ways. He studied the ruins of the man before him and shook as he lowered himself into the chair. He could not keep the look of terror from his bleeding into his face.

"I have brought you your special treats that you care for so much," Voldemort said and gestured to a golden plate covered with sugared pineapple. "Please help yourself."

Slughorn put out a shaky hand and retrieved a small morsel. He did not want it and was not hungry, but dared not refuse.

"Did you find Severus?" Voldemort asked clasping his hands together. The hands were now quite deformed and were small, shapeless mitts. They were retreating into his body and would soon not be necessary.

"Yes...yes, I did," Slughorn stuttered. "I gave him the object that you told me to give him. I...I also met with him just the other evening. Just before...before the raid at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place."

"Really?" Voldemort's slanted, unblinking eyes narrowed even further. "Where was he?"

"He was going to see Lucius."

"Oh, yes?" Voldemort studied the fleshy man and felt a sudden hunger stirring. He wondered what it would be like to unhinge his jaw and swallow the man whole as he had seen Nagini do to rodents. He wondered what it would feel like to know that the man was being digested whole and alive inside his own body. He patted his belly and forced himself to concentrate.

Slughorn was now sweating profusely. "Tom..."

Voldemort struck so fast that the fat man had barely chosen his next word before the Dark Lord was before him, inches away and the long yellow fangs from the open mouth swam before his eyes.

"What did you call me?" Voldemort asked, swaying hypnotically on his feet.

"LORD!" Slughorn whispered in terror. "Your Lordship... your Majesty...spare me, I beg."

"Yes?" Voldemort pulled his cape around him and stood looking down at the man. "Really, you are a foolish man. You would not now be alive Horace if I didn't need you. Stop your gibbering. I've had the papers and books that were taken in the raid brought to the library. I believe they are the same documents that you used the first time. I suggest you go down and read them again. We have work to do. I believe the Potter boy will be in my hands by nightfall."

"Lord," Slughorn began, shivering and sweating in fear. " I...I don't believe that it will be of any use. We barely succeeded the first time in creating the six Horcruxes...I..." he left off as he looked up once again into the yellow-green eyes. They were not the eyes of a sane human, or for that matter a sane non-human. "Yes...yes I believe that the answer lies in the books," he muttered and shrank back against the chair. There was no dealing any longer with the creature before him.

"I shall want to make the transformation as soon as possible," Voldemort said and returned leisurely to his throne. "We have the necessary victims all neatly tucked into the cells at Azkaban. I'll be going there as soon as I receive word and you shall need to be prepared to join me. Now, I suggest that you go to work." The small malformed hand waved a dismissal and Slughorn slipped out of the chair and hurried to the door.

He did not turn to look back. He knew that the Dark Lord had pronounced his death sentence. There was no way that he could do what he was asking and there was no escape. Horace Slughorn found himself biting voraciously into the sugared pineapple that he still held in his hand, wolfing it down and wishing that it would stick in his throat and choke him to death. The thought of that kind of death was welcoming in comparison to the one that awaited him with the creature in that room.

He had known all along that there was going to be a price to pay for using the dark arts the night that he had performed the incantations to make the seven Horcruxes seventeen years before. The man's transformation was hideous, made even more-so by the accompanying insanity and evil that emanated like poison from him.

"Horace you fool, you fool," he muttered and then sobbed. "How could you let him talk you into such a thing?" he asked himself bitterly and knew the answer even before the question had come to mind. He too, had been greedy. _This was one boy that I should not have added to my 'collection'_, he thought and laughed hysterically, pulling at his hair and running down the hall towards the library like a deranged madman.

Snape sat in the room at the top of the tower and watched with a veiled expression as Lucius and Bella Lestrange bickered. Lucius was now very aware that the object the woman carried was a Horcrux; the Dark Lord's Horcrux. Snape also knew that Malfoy wanted it, was desperate to see it. He saw the greed in the man's eyes and knew of his desires. Snape had once said that there had been many people who sought to assassinate Voldemort. Lucius was at the head of the line and Snape knew it.

He had not told Malfoy about the Horcruxes out of panic that the Weasley boy and the Granger girl would be discovered. He was too controlled for such a thing as that. But it had been a convenient piece of information to divulge at that moment. He wanted to draw Malfoy's questions away from the Potter boy and involve his interest in something else.

He also knew that Malfoy could not kill the Dark Lord and had kept that piece of information to himself. _It is convenient for you to know about the Horcruxes_, he decided. _It will keep you occupied for a while, _he thought to himself_. It will be even better if you try and destroy them._

Snape was all too familiar with Malfoy's lust and greed for power and knew that it would be his undoing. He was now feeding him information very slowly, dragging it out.

He also knew of Bellatrix Lestrange's insane devotion to the Dark Lord. She would fight to the death to not betray him and she stood now, holding the object to her breast, baring her teeth at her brother-in-law.

Now all he had to do was sit back and let the two of them at each other while he remained silent. He hoped it would last long enough to give the boy a chance to find the dungeons. While he watched he allowed his mind to drift as it always did when he felt tense. He thought of Lily, with her beautiful long auburn hair.

He absentmindedly touched the small scar where she had scratched him.

Harry heard the footsteps and pressed himself against the wall and waited. He was cloaked in the invisibility cloak and knew that he could not be seen. However, the stairway was very narrow and there was a good chance that they- or whatever it was- would bump into him when they passed. He shivered involuntarily. The spider webs reminded him of Aragog and his family and Harry did not want to 'bump' into anything with eight legs.

He was about to raise his wand when he saw the dim light of two wands and the faces that were illuminated by them. He immediately pulled off the cloak and stepped up into the light. "Hermione! Ron!"

The reunion was short but sweet. Hermione burst into tears and hugged his neck and Ron smiled and patted him on the back. The slightly irregular scratching noises that mingled with their own voices quieted them and they began the descent in haste. Ron was eyeing the cobwebs and making slight mewling noises and Hermione was moving ahead of both of them. She was whispering as she went. "I tried to memorize the way when they took us up to the tower," she was saying.

"Snape said always stay left and then you have to return the same way," Harry volunteered.

"Snape!" Ron exclaimed quietly. "Met him on the way going down the stairs. He was with Malfoy. Going on and on about the Horcruxes. Can't be trusted I say." He growled. "Always chummy with the wrong people."

Harry stopped briefly when he heard the information and frowned. He shook his head and continued, catching up with Hermione. "I think he's sacrificing himself Ron, giving us time to get out. Is everyone alright? Ginny?" he asked Hermione as they finally found level ground.

The area was like an immense honeycomb of caves, some were lit with hellfires and many were dark like a pit. She followed a dim light and they slipped by open doorways silently and then talked in hurried whispers as they entered long stony corridors. In some areas they needn't have bothered. They could hear horrific screams that seemed to rend and shred the very air.

"Everyone was fine when we were taken away," she mentioned a moment later. "Moody was hurt and we don't know how bad."

"We've only got three wands, Harry" Ron said. "Do you have a plan? Because I think its going to be a lot harder to get out then it is to get in."

Harry shook his head but had in his mind the plea he had made to Percy. Now, walking through the underground nightmare of twisted, turning corridors, he thought that he had been naive. It was very unlikely that the Weasley brother had made it to Azkaban let alone allowed to visit his family. Malfoy would have laughed in his face.

"Harry Potter?" a tiny voice whispered to them and they froze in place. Harry turned his dimly lit wand and saw a tiny figure cowering in the dark, its shadow reflected against the wall.

"Dobby?!" Harry gasped. He wasn't sure that the house elf really was his friend, to him the house elves all looked alike. But the look of adoration and happiness that spread across his face convinced him. "Dobby, it is you. What are you doing here?"

"I forgot to tell you, Harry," Hermione interrupted. "Dobby brought me Dumbledore's wand. This is it." She showed him the white ivory wand.

"Dobby can you show us where the prisoners are kept?" Harry asked quickly and the house elf nodded.

"Dobby can show you Harry Potter." The elf was energized and hopped up and was ready to fly down the tunnel.

Harry stopped him suddenly and inexplicably apprehensive." Dobby. Is everyone ok? Is anyone hurt?"

The elf blinked nervously.

"Dobby?"

"Dobby is sorry, Harry Potter." Dobby chewed on his lip. "There is a dead wizard. He was brought by the bad man and left for his family to see."

"Who was it?" Ron asked. "Who's dead Dobby?"

Dobby whispered, "One with red hair, like you." He looked directly at Ron and then fled down the tunnel.

Remus paced the floor and answered the people that spoke out periodically. First, Arthur and then Fleur and later, faintly, Tonks. He did not have the answers to questions nor did he have much left in him to provide solace. He was anxious. He could feel in his very bones that something was about to happen.

The trip to the dungeons was shortened considerably by the presence of the elf and Harry, Hermione and Ron wasted no more time. They arrived in the dimly lit area and saw the figure hanging on the wall. Harry held Ron back when they saw the color of the hair. it was too dark at first to distinguish who it was and Harry feared that it might be Fred or George or Bill or even Arthur Weasley. It was clear it was male and not female and he breathed a sigh of relief.

Ron was strong and pushed past after Hermione crept up to look into the dead man's face and then turned to him. They all saw that it was Percy.

Once again, Harry felt some relief and a little guilt. _So he had made it, _he thought.

"Remus?" he whispered.

"Harry!" a hand appeared through the small slit in the door. "Hurry, open the doors."

"Alohamora!" Hermione said. There was no response.

"No, that's not the spell," Harry said and waved his wand and mentally repeated the words that Snape had given him. "There is no escape, there is no return." One by one the doors began swinging open.

As planned, and to Harry's, Hermione's and Ron's surprise everyone rushed past them and towards Lupin's cell. Ginny reached Harry and hugged him and then began to pull him along.

"We've got to go now," she said. "The Triwizard's cup is here. The portkey." She shook him. He was looking back and watching Molly Weasley attempting to physically take down Percy's hanging body from the wall. Arthur had stopped to go back to help. Ginny looked back and took two steps to join them and Harry reached for her and missed.

"Ron! Harry!" Lupin shouted. He was standing in the cell of the door. At the same moment, he saw Tonks with Moody's arm around her shoulders moving slowly towards them. They were going much too slowly. He turned and looked at the small group that was now standing around the Triwizard's cup. "Harry get in here!" Lupin stepped around him and shoved him towards the door. "I'll help Tonks."

Hermione had been inside the cell and was now outside following Lupin and pulling Molly Weasley away from her son's body. Arthur Weasley was on the other side of his wife who was struggling to turn back. They had not been successful in their attempts to retrieve the body.

Ron was shoved back into the cell when Lupin went by and Fred and George grabbed him and held on, they reached for Harry too and connected. Now, Molly and Arthur were stepping through.

It all happened quickly. The corridor was suddenly filled with wizards firing off spells. Dementors drifted in over their heads and the place was filled with their damp, cold essence, smoke from a fire set in the straw and sparks from the various wands.

Harry looked over his shoulder and made a turn but before he could manage to step out Fred had reached for his hand and placed it on the portkey. Arthur, Molly, Fleure, Bill, Mad-Eye Moody, Harry, Fred and George were all swept up by the cup and transported.

Harry squeezed his eyes shut in absolute disgust and horror even as they flew out and away from the island. They had left behind; Hermione, Lupin, Tonks and Ginny. Between the four left behind, they had one wand and they were facing a half dozen wizards and even more Dementors.

They other group ended up on the Quidditch pitch at Hogwarts just as the last rays of sun left them in the twilight darkness of mid summer. Harry straightened up and turned to look at Hogwarts just up the hill from where the small group stood. At the same time, Lupin stood in front of the three girls and held up his hands. His clothes were smoldering with the spells that had narrowly missed hitting vital spots and he was barely standing.

Snape stepped around the front-most figure. He and Lupin exchanged looks and then Snape turned to the wizard at his side. "Inform Mr. Malfoy that you allowed the Potter boy to escape with the prisoners. I will put these four back in their cells." He stood still while the wizard's surrounding him turned away, the leader shrugged his shoulders in anger. The wizard knew he was in trouble.

Snape waited for them to leave and then waved his wand. It was clear that he had performed the Patronus charm. His Patronus erupted from his wand in a wall of brilliant light driving the Dementors out of the corridor.

They were alone.

"We have very little time," Snape said calmly. "Follow me. Now is the time to escape if we can."


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen Hermione

Snape left the warden's apartments the moment that Lucius and Bella drew wands. This was going to be a fight to the death and he wanted no part in it. One of them would have tried to drag him into it and he didn't want to side with either. They were formidable and it was going to be a nasty fight. It had beena long time in coming.

He found his way to the dungeons and into the fight that was occurring there. He now stared at Lupin and the three girls that were with him. Somehow the others had gotten hold of a portkey and they were now gone. He saw no way to follow the Potter boy, his primary charge. And as always, he adapted quickly to the situation and was already leading the small group back through the winding labyrinth of Azkaban's prison.

"We have no hope of leaving the island," he told Lupin. "We cannot survive. There are too many of us and the hounds will be on us soon." He was speaking metaphorically but knew that Lupin understood. He was the only one with a wand and the going was already difficult.

Snape already knew that the werewolf was not pleased with his company and was certainly not pleased that he spoke so openly.

"Really Severus, as long as we walk and talk and breath I think there is hope," Lupin growled. He was at the back and pushing the girls before him. They came to a junction where a primeval sort of light illuminated their faces.

Snape was impressed with what he saw. There were no tears, no simpering adolescent whimperings from the females. They stood before him- grim,yes- but resolute. Lupin looked at them and then at him and there was a look of satisfaction there. _Maybe_, he began to think and then pushed the thought from his mind_. No_, he told himself, _there is no escape and probably no survival_.

He more than anyone knew that the way before them was almost impossible.

"You must do exactly as I say," Severus said. They all nodded in unspoken agreement" Did anyone come away with a wand?"

They looked at each other and Hermione sighed. "I had Dumbledore's wand in my hand and I gave it to Harry so I could help Mrs. Weasley. We didn't have time..."

_Dumbledore's wand_, Snape thought. _Now Potter has it_. "We'll collect several more wands along the way," he snapped, ignoring Hermione and turning to Ginny. "This girl..."

"Ginny...Ginny Weasley," Ginny said drying. "That's my name Professor."

_Yes_, Snape thought. He knew the name. How many years had he been bedeviled by the Weasley family. He looked into her face and gritted his teeth and continued, "I must transfigure you. You are not of age and we can carry you along. It will make us less conspicuous."

Lupin stared at him and then looked at Ginny. He nodded and lowered his eyes.

"Transfigured?!" she said hotly. "I can fight!" She then turned to Tonks and Hermione. Both looked at her sympathetically. "Hermione? Tonks?" she pleaded.

"Snape is right, Ginny. You won't understand this until you are older but it will be safer for you." Lupin gulped and reached for Snape's wand. "Allow me."

Snape willingly gave over the wand. He had never been good at transfiguration and remembered vividly asking Lily to begin the transformation on herself. He watched now as Lupin waved the wand and the red-haired girl's body melted down into a very small and very wary red-tailed fox.

Hermione was the first to bend and stroke the magnificent red fur. "It'll be alright Ginny," she whispered.

Snape took the wand back, surprised that Lupin had not insisted on keeping it. "We must move now... and quickly. There is an acromantula lair nearby."

"What about, Lucius?" Lupin asked looking back into the tunnel of the staircase and then at Snape.

"I left Lucius and Bellatrix Lestrange battling it out over two Horcruxes," Snape said coolly. "Hopefully, it will keep them occupied for some time. No one will dare interfere to inform them that his prisoners have escaped. But we must be out of the prison soon. It is our only chance."

He once again proceeded up the stairs with the wand lit and pointed ahead of him. _A werewolf, an Auror who is barely out of training, a girl who knows nothing except what she reads in books; and a fox. Yes, we are in trouble, _he thought

Harry was on his feet and rushing back over to the Triwizard's cup that had dropped in the middle of the small group. He turned to Arthur Weasley. "We have to go back. Make it transport me back!" His chest was heaving with the effort to not shout it out.

Arthur Weasley shook his head at him. His face revealed his own agony and horror as he became aware of who had arrived and who had been left behind. "I can't Harry. We can't go back. They are lost to us. They are already lost to us." The words came out in an agonized muffled cry.

"Do you know what you're saying?!" Harry gasped. He looked at the faces around him.

"Molly get them into the woods. Find cover now!" Mr. Weasley turned to her and pushed her. She was not responding.

"I've killed her Arthur. I've killed my own daughter," Molly wailed in grief.

Mr. Weasley reached out and punched Fred in the chest. "Get under cover! Go. Take your mother. Keep her quiet." As a group they began to move towards the cover of the Forbidden Forest.

Arthur Weasley and Ron were left behind with Harry standing exposed in the middle of the Quidditch pitch. The stands that served to hold the audience were empty and dark and the flags that normally flew from to define the areas for the four houses were now absent. It was unnaturally calm and growing darker.

"I can't make a portkey, Harry," Mr. Weasley said quietly. "You know who was there when we transported out. Even if you could go back, you would be caught and it would do nothing. We can't help them."

Harry was shaking violently. "You don't understand. Voldemort can't kill me but he can kill everyone that means anything to me. I might as well be there and die with them! He's taken it all away!"

Ron stepped up and took him by the arm. He was also shaking and white-faced. "Dad is right. That's my sister and my friends back there too, Harry. We can't go back. I would do it if I could. I'd take your place if I could, but it can't be done!"

Harry glared at them. _Magic! _he thought. _It's only good for when it's not important. _He looked down at the Triwizard's cup and kicked it with all his strength. He forced himself to look up at them calmly. It took everything he had.

He saw that there were dark objects in the deepening night sky circling the castle and flying in their direction. He knew that Voldemort was in Hogwarts. He also knew that he couldn't be killed by the dark wizard but he could be killed by any one of the wizards guarding him. And he wanted to get to Voldemort; he wanted to get to him very badly indeed.

Arthur Weasley saw the figures above at the same time. "Run for it!" he whispered and grabbed his son's sleeve. Ron looked back and then ran for the trees. Harry stood on the Quidditch pitch alone and then ran in the direction of the castle.

Nagini was smelling the rat even as it chewed on the grasses near the entrance. She knew the smell. She had not been successful in her hunting and she was hungry. The wizard always drained her of energy. There had been dark days when he had milked her so that he could survive. It had been unpleasant, even painful. It was still unpleasant. She knew somewhere in her small reptilian brain that she carried something that belonged to him.

She enjoyed being outside in her natural environment. Her master no longer needed her as much or called to her. When she was near him she could sense the changes taking place. She would not normally allow a male of her species to remain at her side. Her natural instinct was to mate with him and then leave. But this mate was unlike others, he was partly human and still had horrible control of her. She had never been frightened before and the feeling was unfamiliar.

She was, therefore, always a little more quick to rile, a little more aggressive then she normally would be when carrying her eggs. And she was always hungry. The rat was a little worn and a little old and the missing toe was the clue that he was special to her master.

She licked the air with her tongue and tasted his scent and moved cautiously through the grass in his direction.

Snape knelt and the others followed suit. They had made it to the trail and it was now growing dark. Snape felt some mild relief. The air was still torturously hot from the late July sun and they were in the rocky gully that footed the fortress.

"There are many things that will kill you on this island, natural and foreign." Severus said quietly. "We can use these things to help us or they can be our end." He pointed at the shrubbery and the waxy flowers that grew in the shade. They were barely visible in the waning light. "That is scarlet trumpet," he whispered and looked at Hermione. She gasped and drew back away from it. He nodded, pleased that she understood.

"You are our guide, Severus," Lupin said huffing from exertion. he had taken several hits and was hurt. "We have already agreed."

Snape nodded and without arrogance waved his hand over the land that lay before them and said, "I know this land, I know what Malfoy will set loose on us. If we want to survive you must do exactly what I say and when I say it and you must not hesitate."

Tonks was watching the terrain but leaned slightly to hear his words. She nodded and chewed on something so voraciously it looked like she wad of gum. Hermione was wide-eyed and watching Snape and Lupin was anxious.

Snape understood immediately what he was thinking and voiced it, "You think that I am wasting time Lupin? But I'm not. We must go very slowly and stay out of sight, not run headlong into them. They will be looking all along the path, there is no other way." Snape saw the red fox join them and sit in their circle. " We need to use what is at our disposal." He pulled a plant from the nearby growth and broke the stem in half. "We have two wands; that's not enough."

Like Hermione he had liberated a wand from one of the front entrance guards and had pushed the other over the side. Lupin had caught himself from shouting at him in his attempt to keep Hermione and Tonks from seeing the brutal death.

"When you rub the juice from this plant on your skin it will glow in the dark. The Inferi hate light and will not touch you. They will come out of the pools that line the path in some areas." Snape touched a long tendril that was inching its way towards his boot. It jerked back at the tiny spark on the tip of his wand. "What is this, Miss Granger?'

"Devil's Snare," Hermione said quietly.

"Yes, once again, you are correct," Snape said and rose. "If we are separated then you must remember to think of these things. There are traps that line the path and creatures..." They all heard the distant roar of the dragon flying overhead.

"We understand Severus, now we need to move out of this area. We are too exposed." Lupin paced back and forth, gripping the wand in his hand nervously.

Snape whirled in his own tracks and moved silently through the shadows of the brush. He was so stealthy that they lost sight of him almost immediately.

"He was like that Remus," Tonks said and brushed past him. "I followed the man for two weeks and never could get close enough to touch him. He's good, really good." She turned back once from following in his tracks. "If we can stay with him, he'll get us out of this."

The red fox followed her into the shadows and left Hermione and Remus staring after.

Hermione stepped over the Devil's Snare tendril and reached down to pluck another plant, the copy of the one Snape had pulled. She tucked it into her robes and followed with Lupin covering their trail with his wand.

They moved quietly and their trackers were noisy. Snape stopped, listened and guided them around a group of wizards that were talking in a clearing.

Later, as they moved swiftly through the dark, he did not hear the sound of the vampire before it was actually on him. Immediately, Hermione yanked Lupin's wand from his hand, rushed over and gave it a complicated whip-like shake. She transfigured the creatures needle-like fangs into comedic muggle dentures that clacked spasmodically in his mouth, and then not satisfied, added metal braces wired together to silence the noise. She quickly wove a complicated web of fine white threads from the wand wrapping the creature in a cocoon, much like a mummy in its wrappings, and then stood back and calmly handed the wand back to Lupin.

They all stared at her, particularly Snape who had been rescued by her quick thinking.

"What is that binding him? Snape finally asked, staring at her with a mixture of surprise and confusion.

"It's dental floss," Hermione said staring down at the vampire that lay wriggling on the ground at her feet. "My parents are dentists and it was the first thing that came to mind."

Lupin broke out in a tiny hysterical laugh, spinning in place, wand up and staring in the night sky.

"What is a dentist?" Snape asked, solemnly, as if they were a type of great wizard.

"Enough! This conversation must take place later," Lupin said quickly and moved off into the dark.

Snape stood staring at her for the space of a heartbeat and then also waved for them to move behind Lupin.

It was at least twenty minutes before they stopped again. They could all hear the howls of the werewolf men following them. "Fenrir!" Snape hissed and he could see Lupin turn to him and step in close to whisper.

"He'll be with others of my kind," Lupin said softly. "I'll draw them off. They haven't transformed yet but they will smell us. If I leave you they will follow my scent. He wants me more than he wants any of you."

Snape nodded and held his breath to listen. He spoke when he could hear them moving away from them. "There is a chasm..."

"I know of it," Lupin interrupted. "How do you cross it? A bridge?"

Snape shook his head. There was barely enough light to see each other and he spoke as quietly as he could, "An incantation. Walk across. Have no fear there will be something under your foot when you do."

Lupin dissolved into the dark and Tonks moved down the trail ahead of Snape and Hermione. Snape quickly gestured for Hermione to follow. They were now trotting along in the dark over rough terrain with a pack of werewolves and their chained wolves on their trail. Wizards flew overhead on thestrals and threw globes of light out with their wands to cascade down and light small areas underneath them.

Snape studied the moon as it came up over the horizon. _It's going to be dark enough_, he decided. They easily avoided the circles of light cast by the flying wizards overhead, but it was harder to see the traps. He was becoming more confident in Tonks. He had watched her for weeks while she thought she was following him. She was good but he had never lost sight of her which meant that she was not good enough. Still, he allowed her to move ahead and he ran alongside the Granger girl.

She was winded but still moving and on guard. He was satisfied with her quick thinking and stopped, pulled her back and handed her the wand. "Follow Tonks. I'm going to back-trail and see how close the hunters are." She nodded and took it from his hand without speaking.

He spoke again, "You are near a chasm and it is deep. Have no fear, just cross it." She nodded again. He stared at her for a moment. He could not read her face in the dark and it made him uncomfortable. Snape always liked to learn what he could from a person's expressions.

"You saved me," he said quickly. "Why?"

"We are in this together," she answered calmly. "I have never lost faith in you, Severus." She remained perfectly still and there was a quality in her voice...something so familiar. It was like Lily's; stubborn, determined and self-assured. In the deepening darkness he forgot himself for a moment and thought of stepping in just a little closer so that he could smell the scent of her hair, and the perfume of her skin.

And then, with a start, he realized who stood before him and that he now owed her a debt. He turned on his heel and melted into the dark and she watched the darkness envelope him. She knew that both he and Lupin were buying them time, possibly sacrificing themselves for her and Tonks and Ginny.

She and Tonks reached the chasm and she dropped to her knees and peered over the side in horror. "Tonks?" she gasped, holding herself back in fear.

The young woman beside her had reached the gorge before her and was staring down into it and then across to the safety of the other side. "I see it, Hermione." She looked over. "I know that it looks awful..."

She didn't finish. Hermione burst out in a rough choked laugh, "Awful! That's a understatement, Tonks. It's a nightmare." Something touched her sleeve and she caught herself from screaming just in time to realized it was the cold wet nose of the red fox. "Ginny!"

Tonks rubbed at her own nose and smeared more dirt on her face. They had flailed and crawled and run through branches and wet brush, had dropped and run along boggy, muddy clearings. "We're gonna be exposed, Hermione," she said, seriously studying the area. "I trust what Snape said about walking across, although...well..."

Hermione had a hand on the fox and one on the ground and looked down. The area was ablaze with the light from molten lava spewing out of crevices. The heat and steam rose up into their faces and mixed with the sweat and grime. "I know what you mean Tonks."

She ran her fingers into the soft pelt of the fox and then looked again at Tonks, her face a bright orange-red lit from the fires below. It was also grimy. And then it hit her. "Tonks?"

"Yeah," the woman answered.

"Can you change your skin color?" Hermione asked.

Tonks looked down at her and nodded. "Why?"

"I'm going to rub more dirt on my face," Hermione said grabbing for soil around her and throwing it on herself and in her hair. "We can camouflage ourselves."

"What's a camouflage?" Tonks said reaching for some of the leaves and dirt.

"It's a muggle thing. You cover yourself with this stuff," she showed her the leaves. "Put it all over and then you change your color. I'll change the color of our clothes to match the area. We'll be invisible from the air because we'll look like the ground. I'm going to wrap Ginny in my robes and carry her across. As a fox she won't dare follow us. She won't know it's safe to cross."

"I can transfigure you, Hermione," Tonks pointed at the wand Hermione carried. "Although, I'm not very good with humans."

Hermione stared at her, raising an eyebrow. Tonks had a reputation for being clumsy if not downright dangerous no matter how good her intentions. Hermione had already thought it through. "Thanks Tonks, but I'd rather try this. Besides you can't carry both of us." She had already covered herself and was gently wrapping the struggling fox in her cloak. "Go ahead of me now, take the wand and wait for me on the other side. I'll follow in a minute."

Tonks nodded and put a foot out, hesitating and then stubbornly planting it down in thin air. She, like others before her, was unsteady on the invisible surface. Once assured that it was there, she crouched and ran for the other side.

Hermione waited until the figure disappeared into the vegetation and then stepped out, looking straight ahead. There was a moment of terror until her foot touched the solid invisible ground, and then she began to run. It was at that moment that the dragon chose to sweep down through the valley. Its' eyes were sharper than an eagles and it caught sight of her movements just as she made the halfway point.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Lupin

Lupin loped over the terrain on human legs but with the agility and grace of his animal double quickening his pace. His eyes could see where no mere human could see and he could hear the voices of his brothers. His mind was clearly that of a human but shadowed by the animal inside.

He was looking for them; going to them. He knew that he could give his friends a chance to escape because without the werewolves hunting them there was no wizard or witch with such exquisite senses and they could not be followed as easily. If he had heard Hermione's thoughts he would have had to acknowledge that he was sacrificing himself. He was already hurt and there wasn't much more that he could do. Voldemort had won.

The night sounds quieted as he passed; small creatures burrowing, crickets taking up their song, and muffled skittering sounds. He was familiar with them all. His life had been spent counting the days of the moon, not the sun; because, he was a son of the moon.

He met up with Fenrir and three other werewolves; one a boy of about Harry's age. Lupin stood waiting for them in a clearing and he bared his teeth in a feral grin when he saw the young man.

Grayback Fenrir stopped and strolled into the clearing and faced him calmly although Remus could sense that their blood-lust was up. Fenrir spoke with a husky voice, "Hello, Remus. I always gave you credit for having brains but I see that I have been mistaken. You walk right into my hands." He circled around him while the others waited. "Where are they Remus? Give them up and I may let you live. Remain silent and I will let them..." he nodded at his friends, "...tear you to pieces."

Lupin stood very still and studied the young man that came with Fenrir. He remembered what it had been like when he was that age, when he had been saved by Dumbledore, and Hogwarts and even, James and Sirius and Lily. He had retained most of his humanness. He could now see in the eyes of the other, the young boy, that his association with Grayback so early in life had turned him. The boy smiled at him and yawned wolfishly to show his pearly white canines.

A dense fog began to roll into the clearing like a gigantic gray animal crouched low to the ground. It was eerie. There was no wind and yet it moved fast as if it were really alive, stalking them.

Lupin studied the situation and knew that there was no escape. He was outnumbered; and it would be a bloody fight. He had no wand and the others carried none. His kind did not resort to the use of wands, they used their teeth and claws.

A voice spoke in the dense soup, "Grayback, it is I, Snape. Don't act hastily with Lupin. The Dark Lord will want him." The dark figure of the old potion's master strolled in through the tendrils of fog that swirled up and over his head and into the overhead canopy of the trees. the half moon was up and weak beams of light shone through the fog.

"You do not fool me, Snape," Grayback snarled. "We come from the prison. Malfoy seeks to find you and personally kill you. He now knows of your betrayal." The yellowed fangs were plainly visible as he pulled back his lips and wrinkled the elongated nose. "I will relish watching it."

Snape stopped and shook his head slowly. "That's a shame Grayback, a crying shame."

Lupin watched both of them swinging his head back and forth. He gawked at Snape who was looking almost to at-ease.

"A shame that you will die a most unpleasant death Severus? Or that you have been found out?"

A cry of indescribable horror and pain rent the air overhead. The fog now lay so thick on the ground that they all stood very still and only their bodies were now visible like mummies shrouded in gray grave wrappings.

Lupin recognized the screaming voice; it was Malfoy.

"It seems that our esteemed friend had tried to destroy the Horcrux, Grayback," Snape said casually.

"Hor...?!" the words were barely out of the werewolves' astonished mouth before the young werewolf at his side, in his eagerness for blood, launched himself at the figure of Snape.

Lupin dropped to all fours and bull-headed himself into Fenrir. The other two werewolves were taken off guard and unsure of who to attack first. It was enough of an advantage for Snape to throw something into the air. The substance was invisible because of the mist, but the granules began to rain down on them all.

It was like acid. Lupin was under Fenrir who had bared his teeth and was trying to disembowel him with his long ugly talons. The substance missed him for the most part, he felt it on the back of his hands and wrists. Fenrir reared back and howled in agony. The boy scampered on all fours into the dark and the other werewolves followed close behind, all howling in pain.

Snape managed to find the he and Fenrir struggling on the ground and with his help , he and Snape forced Fenrir to the ground whereby Snape once again threw the substance over him. Grayback screamed in agony and began to smoke. He rolled away and slipped out into the darkness, his howls were muffled by the surroundings.

"What...what the devil did you do?" Lupin said brushing at himself and feeling the substance eating away at his own clothes.

"It nightshade," Snape answered and brushed at Lupin's clothes with his bare hands. "It's an ingredient for Wolfsbane. I gave my wand to the Granger girl and it was all I could find. We need to leave because Fenrir will return and he will have help." Snape yanked at Lupin's clothes. "Can you walk?"

Remus was still crouched on his knees and feeling the effects of the nightshade. It was all he could do to not erupt in his own fierce howling. He had also been hurt in the dungeons and could barely walk a step. . The man jerked him to his feet and threw his arm around his shoulders and Lupin was surprised at Snape's strength. He could feel the cords of muscle beneath the wizard's robes.

He pushed away from Snape who maintained a hold on his arm. "Were you bitten?" Lupin gasped, trying to see in the dark. " Did he bite you." He couldn't see if Snape was injured.

"No, he didn't bite me," Snape growled lowly. "Why would you care anyway if he did bite me?"

Remus was taken back for a moment and then allowed himself to be half carried, his arm slung over Snape's shoulder.

"Why? why did you come back for me?" he gasped as he felt his injuries.

Snape cursed as his foot caught in something and then he pulled him roughly through the undergrowth. They were ankle deep in water walking along a shoreline of some scummy pond. Remus couldn't see anything in the fog or the dark and wondered at Snape's ability to put one foot in front of the other.

"How can you see where we are going?" Remus said grunted and reached with his free hand out into the dark like a blind man searching for his way.

"Why don't you speak a little louder and maybe your friend will find you again,"' Snape snapped.

Lupin frowned in the dark but hung on. "So why did you come back? I left you to take care of the girls."

"I believe they are capable witches and didn't need my help. Besides I'm not helping you..." he grunted a little as they moved over the uneven cold and soggy terrain. "I'm helping the Potter boy."

"Why can't you just call him by his name. It's Harry...Harry Potter. Lily's son by-the-way, in case you've forgotten." It was Lupin's turn to sound nasty. He knew it was a barb designed to infuriate Snape.

"You never did read the diary did you? Lily's diary?" Snape asked softly and pulled him up a steep embankment. They stood huffing and struggling for breath. Neither could see the other's face.

"No."

"You tricked me?" Snape said rather than asked.

"Yes."

"Fair enough," Snape said and pulled Lupin's arm around his neck again.

They walked for a few minutes and Remus concentrated on just moving his feet until he felt a warm substance running along his arm. At first he thought it might be his own blood and then realized that his arm was not hurt.

He stopped, and jerked his arm away. "You have been hurt!"

"It is no matter, Lupin. We are going to be dead if we don't reach that gorge and cross it. There is more protection on the other side." Snape was breathing hard and Remus wished that his eyesight could be even sharper than it already was, because regardless of the acuity, he couldn't see a thing.

"So you were bitten?"

"No, I fell on something sharp when the boy jumped me," Snape hissed, obviously in pain. "My head is cut that's all. It's nothing. Now can we get on with it?"

"No, I don't think we can," Remus said. The fog had dissipated a little and something- star shine or a little moonlight- shone through just long enough for him to see a dark, slow-moving figure behind Snape. He said one word, "Inferi." He could think of lots of ways to die but being eaten alive by ghouls was not one of them.

Snape moved into action immediately. He grabbed Remus' arm and threw him over his shoulder and began to run. "We...dis...turb...ed the wa...ters," he huffed. "Stupid...of me!"

Lupin was being joggled and the movement caused him to lose his breath. He couldn't speak and couldn't struggle free. All he could do was try and watch behind them. Inferi were very slow moving. Even so he thought that Snape probably couldn't run far enough to escape them.

Hermione threw herself flat on the invisible surface over the gorge and waited for the dragon either to breath fire and catch her alight and burn her to death or sweep her up in its talons and carry her off; perhaps even take a bite with the large ferocious teeth that lined the mouth. The bag with the fox in it wiggled furiously. She closed her eyes and waited.

The fog that had rolled in over Snape and Lupin was her saving grace. The dragon had seen the movement from afar and had circled once to pin the creature below down. Now as it circled and studied the ground the fog rolled in off the ocean and obscured the gorge below. It circled again having lost sight of its prey.

When the fog became so dense that it covered everything but the hottest molten fire the dragon roared in frustration and flew back down the valley. It was then that Hermione felt Tonks tugging at her cloak. "Get up! Get up and run Hermione!" Tonks shouted.

Hermione flew across grasping the bag to her chest. The two women ran into the darkness of the trees and fell under one of them. They held each other and tried to catch their breaths. It was then that they also heard the shrieking scream that came from the prison.

"What was that? Hermione gulped.

"Don't know, don't wanna find out. Come on,' Tonks pulled at her again.

"Tonks we've gotta wait for Remus and Snape," Hermione said, once again getting to her feet, tiredly.

The light from the gorge was enough to illuminate Tonks face. Her eyes were glittering bright. "They aren't coming Hermione. They went back to give us a chance to get away."

Hermione looked over her shoulder at the way they had come and then back at her friend. "I'm so sorry Tonks...about...about...Remus."

Tonks shook her head and grabbed her robe again. "Let's not waste their sacrifice."

"PUT ME DOWN!" Remus barked.

Snape lowered him to the ground and then went to his own knees.

They were inches from each other's face. "Are you mad?" Lupin asked more quietly. They were now at the edge of the gorge. Thankfully the fog had settled down to the ground and was not blowing out. Lupin looked over the side of the cliff into the murky abyss. He could see the fires below. He turned back to Snape and wondered if he looked as bad as Snape looked. The man was losing blood.

"May people think that I am," Snape answered.

"You never answered my question Snape," Remus said, pressing the issue.

"Which one Lupin? You have so many?" Snape wrapped a cloth around his head to stop the flow of blood from his head. There were several deep cuts on his face from running blindly through the dark.

Remus shook his head, feeling great tiredness. "Why...did...you...come...back?"

Snape stared at him looking as exhausted. "It is not for the reason you think. I ask no forgiveness for what I have done. I do not seek redemption. Potter was transported to Hogwarts. The Triwizard cup returns to Hogwarts and The Dark Lord is there." He raised his eyebrow as if the gesture was enough to say, 'get it?'"

Lupin sat back on the parched grass and turned in the general direction of Hogwarts. "He'll go after him."

Snape nodded, "Yes. He'll go after him. The sound we heard, I'm sure, was Malfoy trying to destroy the Horcrux. Bella brought the cup to Azkaban. Potter was suppose to take hold of it and become possessed by the Dark Lord."

Lupin turned back to look at him in horror.

Snape continued, "I think that the Dark Lord would take up permanent residence inside the boy if he can. The locket was no longer viable and perhaps Malfoy has succeeded in destroying the cup. Hopefully, he has destroyed himself in the process.

"That still leaves the snitch and the snake," Lupin sighed. "Voldemort will still be very strong.

Snape's dark eyes shone with the fires that leaped up from the gorge below. He nodded again. "We need to get there. Potter will not trust me but he will trust you. We need to stop him. It is too soon and his effort will be wasted."

Lupin understood. He struggled to his feet and looked down and placed one foot on the invisible surface over the gorge and then turned to Snape. "Let's do this together." He reached a hand out to help the man up. Snape looked at it for a minute and then reached out and took it.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty Malfoy-Draco

Voldemort did not feel the loss of the Horcrux but it did diminish his already poor supply of human qualities. It was evening and he had not yet heard of the escape of his prisoners from Azkaban. As it always is with despots, they are the last to hear the bad news because the one who carries it always feels the results first and no one wanted to be the harbinger of bad news and pay for it with their lives.

He liked Dumbledore's old office and he even liked the fact that Dumbledore's portrait hung above the desk on the wall. The figure in it was sleeping peacefully while the other portrait's occupants, when possible, had fled to other pictures. Voldemort had even taken to talking to the picture.

"...you see Albus? I'm sure you do. I could not abide your kind of sanctimonious governing. If you were here you would have to admit that you controlled the Ministry with as much of a iron fist I am doing now. The facade that you showed the world was a kind and loving Father Christmas; give to the muggle-born and half-breeds and let us all be happy." He rose from his chair and pulled the long velvet green robe around the desk and gestured with his long delicate fingers.

"Of course, you had to poison their minds against me." He made another scorch mark on the frame of the portrait since he could not damage the surface itself. This often led to a fit of rage that he could not remove it or damage it more. He continued to speak in his raspy, hissing voice, " I can also be a benevolent leader Albus, I just have to rid myself of some of these trouble-makers."

He once again circled the tower room and gazed out into the dim light of the evening and folded his deformed hands to his chest. He felt like, if there had been a balcony, that he would like to stand on it and spread his arms out and declared to the world below, that they bow down before him. He wanted to look into their faces and if he saw any trace of rebellion he would kill a hundred of them for the betrayal in the face of one.

_That's what I will do, _he decided_. I will order them to form below my window so that I can cleanse my new world of all of that old goat's friends. _He smelled, with his tongue, the faint wisp of old burning wood as he made another hash mark on the frame.

He did not reach out to touch the mind of the Potter boy. That would surely mean pain and agony. But he had devised a plan to have the boy brought to him. The Ministry was now within his grasp and the wizarding world knew of the boy as a criminal, that had been achieved by the Daily Prophet. Now he had but to wait and continue to gather his friends. _The boy would show up_, he decided, _to avenge his parent's death, rescue his friends or seek revenge; try and assassinate him. _

_The partly human creature grinned and the snake-like fangs hung over his lower lips. Voldemort could still be amused.._

"I will close the portals from the muggle world Albus and I shall run this school better than you ever thought possible. My children shall not have their minds warped by muggle concepts; tainted by your prudishness. You drew the lines on the use of dark magic and lost all understanding of the value of it. Perhaps, I will have more children like the Malfoy boy and have a chance to finish him the way I never could his father," he frowned with disgust. He turned once again to stare at the portrait. "Your memory will fade into oblivion Albus and good riddance!"

He paced back and forth and then held an index finger in the air, "Perhaps, I should show them that one of their own can be loyal to me. There is one...yes, the name escapes me. No! Longbottom, that's it. The boy's parents are a loss but we can turn him to our side and he is a pureblood. If they can see that he will serve me faithfully then I will have their loyalty as well. Yes! That is an excellent idea." He waved the pale hand and a house elf appeared in the darkened room.

"Kreacher is it?" Voldemort said kindly.

"We are Kreacher, master," Kreacher answered and bowed.

"I want you to find the son of Frank and Alice Longbottom and have him brought to me at once."

"Yes, master," Kreacher said. "There are wizards waiting to see you m'lord. They wish to become Death Eaters in your service."

Voldemort nodded sagely, "Yes, you see? They wait to join me, Albus." He turned to the portrait and Kreacher bowed himself out of the room.

The other thing that Voldemort did not understand was that those that had his ear would never have thought of telling him that he was steadily growing more insane with each passing moment and that the wizards and witches waiting for an audience were nothing but would-be murderers and cut-throats.

---------------------

Ron had not looked back when his father had pulled him off the Quidditch pitch and into the Forbidden forest until they were safely in the shadows. When he did he was astonished that Harry was not behind him. He spun around and was headed back when the twins and his father reached for him again.

"Harry...he's not here... he's gone," Ron sputtered.

"You cannot go after him, Ron!" Arthur Weasley said savagely and held onto him.

"I have to!" Ron said struggling against the hold the three had on him. "He's my friend. He can't do this alone!"

"If he's going where I think he's going Ron, he is alone," Mr. Weasley said sadly. "We must get your mother to safety." They moved as a group through the shadows.

Ron fell back to the end of the group and waited until they reached Hogsmeade before slipping away after everyone else had disapparated. He headed for the Shrieking Shack under cover of dark. The little village was like a ghost town, inhabitants were either gone or in hiding. The streets were empty.

In the meantime, Harry, who was very familiar with the Marauder's map also had the same idea in mind. Although he had never used any of the other secret passages into Hogwarts he was familiar with their entrances. The bridge that spanned the small ravine under the main portico entrance had one of the tunnel entryways. He hastily pulled away shrubbery and vegetation searching for it.

---------------------------

Lupin and Snape had managed to cross the expanse of the gorge and were grateful to find the cover of the vegetation and the trees, where hours before, Snape and Harry had last rested.

They sat in the very spot in the rotted trunk of a large tree and rested.

"We aren't going to make it much farther," Lupin said and closed his eyes. "If you didn't have to contend with me Severus you could probably make it to the shore."

"And find what, Lupin?" Snape asked, his voice also showing fatigue and strain. "I told Potter that we could only fly off the island and that is what must be done. I don't happen to have a broom and neither do you. Tonks and the Granger girl will have found them, hopefully, and used them. I hope Tonks would be wise enough not to return to try and save us."

Lupin nodded to himself. "Yes, you're probably right. I hope you are anyway." He heard a grunt from the man that sat opposite him. He was glad that Tonks and Hermione had escaped . Together they would protect Ginny and all get to safety. There was nothing they could do for Harry.

Remus thought of the young man he had become so fond of and his thoughts naturally drifted to his mother. "Severus, if you have to fly how did you get Lily off the island?"

"Not you as well," Snape sniffed and then, "I transfigured her...actually she helped me transfigure her into a cat. We made it to the shore and then used gilly weed and swam to safety."

Lupin raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Really!"

"Yes, really," Snape said irritably.

"That's quite a swim," Lupin said.

"Yes, it was," Snape agreed.

Remus tried to envision the journey and tried to remember what Lily had looked like. He was caught up in his thoughts and several minutes went by. "Severus, you didn't force me to leave Lily. I agreed to your stipulations but only because I knew in my heart that I needed to leave. James and Lily wanted me to be close to them but they always were idealistic when it came to my circumstances."

"You mean being a werewolf," Snape said and Lupin could hear the snicker in his voice.

"Yes," he said carefully. "It wasn't important to them and they refused to believe that anyone else would be repulsed by having me around. It was what made them very special; made her special."

"Is this death-bed confession time, Lupin?" Snape asked. "Because if it is I hope you don't expect me to join in."

"I really never thought I was going to die next to you, Snape," Lupin growled and then he softened. "I thought you were my enemy, Severus. I thought that for many years and I finally allowed myself to look at the truth. I let you run me off. I ran away from my friends when they needed me the most because I hated what I was. James, Sirus...Lily was just a dream. After we left Hogwarts I saw what life was really like, I knew they couldn't protect me anymore. I left because I thought it would be better for them.. for Lily."

"She spoke of you," Snape said. "You loved her, too."

He opened his eyes. There were some faint sparks of yellow and green shining through the heavy fog. He hoped that it wasn't Hermione and Tonks fighting it out somewhere on the island, but felt sure that it was. The thought tore him from the memories. "Did you see that?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Hermione and Tonks?" Lupin asked, but only because he wanted Snape to tell him it wasn't.

"Probably."

"Can you get up?" Remus asked and tried to pull himself into a standing position. The nightshade had done its work; it was killing him. He fell back against the rough bark of the tree and wished he could see the other man.

"No," Snape answered after a pause. "It seems I have other injuries."

They sat that way in silence and Remus strained his eyes to watch for holes in the fog. They both smelled the troll at the same time because they both gasped at the same time. It was Snape's turn to snort, "Troll, they have a troll!"

"What else do you think is out there?" Lupin asked and was glad that they were well hidden inside the tree.

" A dragon," Snape answered.

_A dragon! _Lupin thought. _Why not? It is Azkaban after all. Can't let the inmates escape._

"Sirens," Snape mumbled.

"What?"

"There are sirens on the rocks along the shore," Snape answered a little more vigorously.

"Oh, great," Lupin said quietly. He recalled the creatures as he had described them in the Defense Against the Dark Arts class so long ago. The creatures that lured seamen to their deaths on the rocks by singing their seductive songs. _At least Hermione and Tonks won't be affected by them, _he decided_. That's one creature that won't hurt them. _But then he knew there were dozens of others. The island was teeming with an assortment of deadly animals, plants and now, wizards.

They once again sat in silence and Lupin perked up his ears to listen for any more activity. There was a faint scuttling noise that he couldn't quite identify.

"I dream of her," Snape said in the dark. "I sometimes find myself in the middle of the something, just standing still, caught by a dream. I see her again, see her smiling, laughing, even the small cleft in her chin and her eyes- those green eyes."

Lupin turned his head to where the voice emanated from the dark and caught his breath. Snape prodded his own memory and it was sharp and painful.

"I tried to tell her that she needed to stop aggravating Riddle, that he was becoming very powerful and that the Wizengamot and the purebred families would support him. But of course, she wouldn't listen. She was ...zealous...in her beliefs." Snape moved a little and Lupin could imagine him laying prone staring up at the inside of the tree and instead seeing Lily.

"When she was captured, I happened to be doing something for Dumbledore and I saw her taken. Of course, I followed." The voice now very tender continued and Lupin could hear the pain in it. "It almost broke me to see her tortured. It almost killed me."

Lupin clenched his own fists and his jaw tightened.

"I went to her in her cell and every moment she was there I spent in trying to find a way to help her." There was a small gasping laugh. "She was always more concerned about me. Me!" He stopped and the atmosphere was heavy with their combined silence. He continued, "When she lay there day after day and HE amused himself with hurting her, I wanted to kill him. However, even then I knew that it couldn't be done by any ordinary wizard." There was silence that was interrupted by the noise that was drawing closer. Lupin didn't speak but listened even harder.

"I didn't know she was pregnant until after when she asked me to help her," Snape said finally. " And I did. I used dark magic, a blood charm. As you know there is always some rebound effect. I guess I thought I was invincible. That it could not effect me. And to my surprise it didn't. The rebound was on her and her son!" There was a soft choking sound.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked.

Snape went on as if he hadn't heard, "I sent you away knowing that you cared about her. I wanted to rescue her...I wanted to be the one. Later, I...told the Dark Lord of the prophecy but I never knew... never believed... that it was about Lily. I would never have dreamed that he would make a Horcrux by murdering her!" The last was an anguished gasp and Lupin reached out not to comfort but to stop his words. He heard the noise again and this time the creature that made it was very near by.

Snape jerked away and for a second Lupin had felt the trembling from his emotions and then; Remus felt the first threads, the first silken threads spinning down on them, like strands of wet, sticky spittle.

"We have to move!" he said loudly. "There are spiders; the acromantula have found us."

Snape moved quickly and they once again ducked through the small opening. The fog was lifting and the light from the half moon shone on the valley floor. They saw many pairs of eyes gleaming in the dark at them.

"How many do you think there are?" Lupin asked.

"Too many," Snape said his voice husky from emotion. "We'll never make it, even if we run."

Remus felt Snape press his back up against his own and he shifted his weight to his good leg, ready to switch to the other, ready to kick out at the first pair of gigantic mandibles that came near. "You don't happen to have some plant or anything that'll kill these?" he said with a half-hearted, choked laugh.

Snape didn't answer.

"You can still get away," he whispered. "You can still run."

"They would have me in the end," Snape answered. "Perhaps it is a fitting end for both of us, Lupin."

-----------------------------

Harry found the school to be changed. It was cold and empty. The hallways seemed familiar with the same portraits, the same statues; everything the same except that it felt like life, the vitality of the school, had fled.

He made his way up from the dungeons to the main floor keeping to the shadows. The school was not brightly lit and there were no sounds of students gathering, talking, chatting, and happy. The hallways were even empty of ghosts.

He picked his way carefully around obscene objects that cluttered the floor and pulled the map from his satchel. He had carried it from the moment they had left for Azkaban, slung over his shoulder and hanging at his side. it carried his mother's diary, the invisibility cloak and the Marauder's map plus a few other small items, including his own wand. The wand he carried was Dumbledore's shoved into his hand by Hermione just before he was transported by the portkey.

He almost dropped it when someone spoke from the shadows.

"Are you here to kill him?" Draco asked.

Harry pointed the wand at him and kept silent.

"If you're here to kill him, I'll help."

They stood silhouetted by the supernatural light from a waning moon shining through the window.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty One The Rescue

"You've taken the Dark Mark, I don't trust you, Draco," Harry said and pointed his wand at his face. The boy looked terrible.

Draco nodded and said, "I understand. But it has been horrible; he is horrible." He moved closer and Harry could see fatigue, terror and hopelessness in the face. "I can't go on like this. You might as well kill me then leave me here."

Harry studied him and thought that Draco probably deserved whatever he was living with. He wanted to go through the castle alone if he could and having him along would only put him in jeopardy.

Draco must have read his thoughts because he leaned in to whisper, "I can get you close to him."

"I know that if you have a chance you will turn on me, Draco," Harry said. "You're a coward. You don't care about anyone but yourself."

"It's true," Draco admitted unexpectedly, his face now wet with tears. "I've been awful. But Potter, I can't stand it, I can't be around him. He's...he's not human anymore. Just since he's been here he's changed. He's more like...like that snake that hangs around him."

"Where is the snake," Harry asked suddenly interested in hearing the information that Draco was giving away so freely.

"Outside now," Draco answered immediately. "It seems to want to be away from him more and more.

"Who else is here?"

Draco looked around him into the dark as if thinking very hard. "Pettigrew is somewhere, and Slughorn."

"Slughorn!" Harry gasped and felt his anger rise like bile. "Where is he?"

"I can show you," Draco said eagerly. "He's in the library. He's supposed to be doing something for ...for HIM."

"Who else is here?" Harry asked.

"A few house elves..."

"House elves?" Harry murmured and thought that was odd. He expected to hear about monsters, Dementors or other creatures that served the Dark Lord but not house elves.

"Kreacher comes from the Black family and Winky was Barty Crouch's old elf. Then there's Death Eaters that come and go. His guards are outside, Dementors and such." Draco stepped into the shadows. "Does this mean you'll let me help you?"

"What if it meant you had to deal with your father...to kill him?" Harry asked. "Could you do it?"

"Yes... ." He hesitated and then continued, "he's almost as bad." His voice was tremulous. "But he's at Azkaban and Aunt Bella is there too. Will you kill them too if they show up?"

Harry considered the figure in the dark and then turned to go. "I'll kill whoever gets in the way, that includes you." He said it and wasn't sure that he meant it althought the words came out fairly easily.

There was a faint choked laugh and Harry swung around with his wand pointed at Draco's chest. "You want me to do your dirty work for you but you never want to put your neck on the line. There are no teachers around now, Draco. Snape is not here to protect you or rescue you. You can run to your father and he will put a boot in your backside and send you back because you decided that you had to show off for his master and become a member of his little club. You got Dumbledore killed and everyone knows it now! You have no one and nothing left Draco except a lifetime of misery, probably in Azkaban when we clean the nest of...of filth out of it!" He'd almost run out of breath but his fury was unabated. "I have nothing left to lose, Draco. Voldemort has taken everything I have ever cared about from me. Do you think it has been easy for me?!" He pulled his arm back as if to cast the spell and Draco turned his face away and closed his eyes. "You are no good to me, so stay out of my face or I will do it Draco, I will kill you!"

"I'll take care of him, Harry," a different voice intruded upon the dark.

"Ron!"

Ron stepped out of the dark his wand also pointed at Draco. "I can't be much help to you, Harry but I can make sure this scum doesn't get in the way."

A soft mewling sound came from Draco. He had his back to the wall and slid to the floor in utter defeat. Ron and Harry stood over him and looked at one another for a moment.

"You know what I have to do?" Harry asked without expecting an answer.

Ron nodded. "Yeah. I wish you had an army at your back Harry but I think that you might have a better chance this way." They stood in silence again. "Harry, I want to thank you for trying to rescue us in Azkaban, for coming for us, even though..." He couldn't finish the sentence; couldn't say that they had left friends, in particular Ginny and Hermione behind and that they were most likely dead. Harry quickly turned again to leave. "Be careful, mate!" Ron whispered after him.

Harry walked along the lonely corridors with only the voice of his mother sounding in is ears; the words from her diary leading the way, giving him courage.

---------------------------

The sky was suddenly filled with very bright light and the different colors of various spells as if a war were being fought in the heavens above by angelic warlords. It seemed to Lupin as he looked up through the blur that there had to be dozens of witches and wizards floating overhead.

_Well if the spiders don't get us then they will_, were his thoughts as he dropped to his knees and then killed over in a dead faint.

Twenty minutes later he woke and saw a familiar face staring down at him. It was Hermione and laying next to him propped up on a pillow was Snape. They were still laying in the wooded area on Azkaban island but they were surrounded by other familiar figures; McGonagall, Scrimgeour, Mad-Eye Moody to name a few. Lupin turned his head slightly as he felt her touch and managed a smile when he saw Tonks and behind her Ginny and Molly Weasley, who was holding on to her daughter, sparkling tears like diamonds still wet on her face.

"Lay still Remus, you are badly injured," Hermione said gently while stirring a cauldron over a fire nearby and leaning over to test it. She had Snape and Remus on each side tending to them both.

"Nightshade..." Snape murmured watching her with his beetle-black eyes brightened by the firelight. "I threw nightshade on him. The remedy..."

"I know the antidote, Professor," Hermione interrupted, concentrating on the potion that she was de-concocting. She stopped Remus from speaking by holding a spoonful of the substance to his mouth.

"P'haps...I should check that," Snape managed and then his head fell back against the pillow.

Hermione ignored him and continued to laden the slightly sweet substance into Remus' mouth.

"How long do you think this will take Miss Granger?" Scrimgeour asked as wizards stepped up to him and whispered in his ear and then disappeared. "...yes, yes make sure the prison is empty. Find Malfoy and Lestrange, or their bodies. I'll be along shortly," he said to one of them. His yellow eyes gleamed in the light and it was clear that he was angry. "We can send for a healer, Miss Granger, if you need assistance."

"The potion will take care of the nightshade poisoning, Minister. Remus will feel better soon," Hermione said and turned to Snape. "Professor Snape has scratches from the scarlet trumpet on his hands and face, plus a bad wound on his head. I can fix the wound," she said and waved the wand around his head like wrapping it in a bandage. He managed to suffer the pain without making a noise or grimacing and stared at her in fascination as if he had never seen her before. "I'll need to find the..."

Snape interrupted her and they spoke simultaneously, "Ragwort plant", "Ragwort plant", she echoed him and then continued, "to make a potion for the Scarlet Trumpet. It has to be mixed with Brachia fern roots. Professor McGonagall can you help with that? It is like a mushroom and will grow in rotted wood. It is a fern with yellow spots," she said in an efficient manner as she continued to examine Snape for other wounds. He lay still an allowed it and Lupin watched from his position at his side, not yet recovered himself.

The old woman disappeared from the small circle of light while Tonks told their story of escape from the island.

"We found the brooms you left behind and it was a matter of getting to the mainland. The others were already there," she held Remus' hand and smiled slightly. "Scrimgeour

was prepared to launch an attack against the prison to stop our executions. They were gathering together when we arrived."

Remus sat up gingerly and allowed his head to clear. He felt himself regaining strength.

"We've got to get to Hogwarts," Hermione put in. "Mr. Weasley and his family teleported to Hogwarts from the prison, along with Harry and Harry did what we all knew he would do; he went off to the castle to find Voldemort." Someone handed her a plant. She looked at it, looked once at Snape who nodded almost imperceptibly and then she dropped it into a clean cauldron all the while talking and pulling things from a bag at her side. "Ron went after him." She glanced at Remus and then turned back Snape. "You've got to help them."

"Help me up, Tonks,' Remus said and received a hand from not only Tonks but Ginny who had stood silently by her side.

"They are all alone, Mr. Lupin," Ginny said and stepped into the light. "He doesn't stand a chance unless all of the Horcruxes are destroyed. Even then he has to fight his way into the castle. There's no telling what he'll run into. We have to get there! Dad's gone back with a few others. But they won't go into Hogwarts until they know what to do. They're waiting for your orders." She looked like her mother, her mouth a grim line, her eyes sparkling with intensity.

There was a roar overhead and a sudden conflagration up in the dark sky which lit the ground below. It was Molly Weasley who spoke, "It's alright. Charlie came back from Romania and he's got others with him. They'll take care of that dragon." Lupin looked into her face illuminated by the fire. She looked angry and determined. "Ginny is right. We have to do something and we have to do it tonight before he hurts other innocent people."

Remus understood that they were all feeling the effects of coming too close to death by execution. They were all angry and out for blood.

He started to speak and then paused to stare up into the starry night. He ten looked down at the man still laying on the ground, ""Severus, when Hermione is finished tending your wounds do you think you can find the fifth Horcrux and destroy it?"

Snape turned his eyes from Hermione to him and nodded slightly. He was still fighting the effects of the Scarlet Trumpet and was in a great deal of pain. Pustules and blisters covered one side of his face and his eye, the same covered his hands. It would mark him the rest of his life. He never had been good looking and it would make his face a horror to behold. He seemed to know this and once again turned to Hermione who was applying the healing salve she had created to his face with her finger tips. Their faces were very close together and she didn't flinch.

Remus nodded and turned to Scrimgeour who was staring at him. Lupin paused for a moment and then said, "Are you going to arrest, Snape?" They all turned to stare at him.

The man shook his great mane of hair and said quietly, "Professor McGonagal and Miss Granger have told me what we face." He stared down at Snape. "I will take care of business here Lupin if you want to go to Hogwarts. Take as many as you need to help you." He glanced at the wizards and witches that were suddenly appearing in the small circle of light created by a half dozen wands and the small fire under the cauldron. The circle included most of the Order of the Phoenix, those that were left, and there were many Aurors from the Ministry. "I understand that you are their leader," Scrimgeour finished. "I will do what you ask me to do."

He said the last with a look that was hard to interpret. Remus wasn't sure if the Minister believed that a werewolf could be a leader or if he intended to go along and betray them later. "Am I to believe that there will be no repercussions after this is done? If it can be done at all!" Remus asked sternly. He was all too aware of how they had been treated by the Ministry who had agreed to their execution. "Everyone will be exonerated?"

Scrimgeour nodded.

"You let things get a little too far out of hand, Rufus," Lupin growled at the man in disgust and then looked down at Snape again. "Alright then, I'll leave. We believe Malfoy is either dead or badly injured. He attempted to destroy a Horcrux, the Dark Lord's Horcrux." He looked up again at Scrimgeour, studying him. "It should be easy to gain access to the prison now. There is a house elf by the name of Dobby who helped us. Make sure he is safe and released."

Lupin turned to Tonks and accepted a broom from her. "Will you ride with me?" he asked. "When we get to the mainland we can apparate. I hope we aren't too late."

"I'm coming, too," Fred Weasley said.

"Me, too," George repeated. Others began to step up until there were at least twenty.

"I'm coming with you," Ginny said with determination and pulled away from her mother. This time Lupin nodded reluctantly. He turned again to Snape. "Are you sure that the two of you can handle it?" He glanced at Hermione who was still tending the wounds. Snape slowly rose to his elbows without looking at Lupin, answered, "Yes. I believe Miss Granger and I can handle it."

Remus threw a leg over the broom and waited until he felt Tonks hands pressed around his middle. "Hermione, you've done a fine job of using field medicine. Thanks."

She stared up at him and he could see the tears that had traced a pattern on her sooty face.

"Just save them if you can. That's all I ask. They are my best friends and I don't think I can stand it if they...are...are hurt." She turned away and her hair dropped down so that her face was no longer visible. Lupin saw something that almost made him lose his grip. Snape's hand reached out and touched the hers in a gesture of sympathy. She reached for it and gripped it hard.

Lupin lifted off into the night sky followed by a dozen people.

--------------------

Harry reached into his sack and pulled the map from it again. He was on the second floor standing in the dim light of the moon. His fingers touched the round metal object at the bottom. it was the coin that Hermione had given him when he was teaching the other students in secret. It had been a means to let the others know when he would schedule training times. Now, he pulled it out and suddenly felt it grow warm in his the palm of his hand. It could only mean one thing, Hermione was calling on the D.A, Dumbledore's Army.

_She's alive! _he thought and grinned. The hand with the coin went to his heart. _Ron's alive and Hermione is still alive. That's good, that's good_, he thought and slipped the coin into his pocket.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two The Truth

Snape stood with Hermione at the gate to the cemetery and they listened to the dark.

After a few minutes Snape moved forward and Hermione followed. It was deep into the night and the crickets were singing. They kept up their choruses even as the two passed along the lane to the mausoleum.

Hermione had some idea of what they would find when they approached the white marble. Snape was still weak from the ravages of the scarlet trumpet, but still on his feet and moving very stealthily. She didn't speak to him or ask questions until he had opened the door and bent his head and stepped in.

He lit his wand so that there was a weak light shining on the surfaces of the stone crypts. He stood before the one with Harry's mother's name on it and touched it lightly with his fingers and then turned to her. His face was a ruin but she did not turn away out of fear or disgust. He studied her and then turned to the small vase that sat on a shelf.

"He transfigured it into the vase," Snape said quietly. "He didn't think I saw him do it but I did."

She looked at the vase and nodded. Everything she needed was now at her side in a satchel similar to Harry's. She began to set items on the stone bench.

"How did you know the remedy for the scarlet trumpet?" Snape asked watching her as she worked.

"You set the essay for us on werewolves," she said without looking up. "You were trying to give Remus' identity away so that he would be sacked and forced to leave Hogwarts." She looked up and stared back at him steadily. "I'm not sure what is between you. I think I can guess." Her eyes drifted to the crypt just behind him and to his right . It was Lily Potter's. He moved slightly to block her view and stood hands folded before him in half shadow.

"I wrote about how to identify a werewolf, how one becomes a werewolf, how to kill a werewolf. If you had read my essay then you would have known what I knew," she said without accusation in her voice. "I know how you feel about me, Professor. It has been obvious from the first day I was in your class." She turned and picked up her wand. "You think I have no magical abilities, that I get by on what I learn in books. There are a lot of people like you. People who think that you have to be born a wizard or witch; that it is in the blood. That's why they look down on muggle-born. But if you ask me, I think that is what has gotten the wizarding world into trouble. It didn't take much for Voldemort to take over. All he had to do was promise to 'cleanse' the world of our dirty blood." She sniffed and readied her wand. "I guess we'll find out won't we, Professor? If I do this wrong and have no natural ability and I am not a witch, then I will die. Pretty horribly I would imagine. Anyway..." she stopped performing the small tasks and looked up at him. "I know what has to be done tonight and who has to do it."

He pulled out a disfigured hand from his robe and started forward.

She glared at him. "You will help me complete this task whether you find me repulsive or not." She smiled and shook her head. "It has to be a woman who does it don't you know. We are the only ones that can create life and give birth to it. The soul of new life will take root in me and only in me, Professor. Isn't that right?"

"Miss Granger," Snape's low growling voice was muted slightly by the stone walls and yet it was very clear. "If you do this you cannot have children of your own. You will bear a child that is the Horcrux and it will have to be destroyed. Would you do this, sacrifice yourself in this way?"

"For my friend I would sacrifice my life, Professor," she said.

"Why do you call me that?" he asked in a hoarse whisper.

She looked at his shadow in the dark. "Professor? Why do I call you Professor?" she asked rhetorically. "I don't think you have stopped being my teacher. And though you are a difficult person and you have been cruel to me, I still owe you my respect for what you have taught me and... for what you will have to do tonight." She gulped and trembled slightly in the coolness of the tomb.

"I hardly think that I deserve such respect," he murmured and there was confusion in his voice.

"Scrimgeour said it in front of all of us; he will exonerate you. There is nothing that will stop you from returning to Hogwarts...unless it cannot be... well if there is a school to return to that is." She busied herself with the objects that she was laying out on the bench.

"With this face?" he said.

She stopped and looked at him once again. "It doesn't necessarily reflect what is on the inside and that is what counts."

There was a faint laugh of derision. "Perhaps you give me credit where none has been earned."

"I fully expect to take your advanced potion's class in the Fall, Professor. I think I can show you that I am not a 'know-it-all' but an enthusiastic learner," she growled at him and then stopped and looked down. "I think that a heart beats inside of you. I think that there have been few that have seen it, except... perhaps...her." She looked at the wall and then down at the bench avoiding a discussion of what was to come next. "Do you think he has a chance? Harry. Do you think he can succeed?"

Snape was very still and there was a long silence.

"If he can shake the grip of fear and proceed with a courageous heart..." He stepped forward into the light of a single candle she was lighting. "After this, there will be one Horcrux left and that, presumably, is in the snake. The Dark Lord will be a very strong opponent. Potter must be...has to be ready to kill him. He cannot hesitate. He must strike with resolve." They stood looking at each other and Snape looked at the ingredients for the incantation. "You would do this for him? Because you love him?"

"Because he is my friend and he would do it for me," she replied and the said softly, "like she did for you...for all of us." She nodded at the stone behind him. "No one knows the truth do they? Just you." She didn't wait for the response, it was in his eyes. "I'll probably die doing this, but I would not choose another way. It requires a sacrifice; a pure soul in exchange for an evil one. That's why Malfoy died horribly, I'm sure and Dumbledore almost died." She raised her wand. "There are ways to redeem yourself, Professor and this is one of them. You will do this for me and for her son." Without waiting for a response she spoke the first words of the incantation; "We are daughter's of Eve and son's of Adam..."

"Stop! Stop," Snape said and pushed her wand hand down with his own injured one.

She looked up at him with her liquid brown eyes and nodded. "It might make a world of difference if you told the truth to at least one person. It might make it easier for me."

Snape stared down at her and then turned to the stone wall of names. "She was captured and I went to her. He wanted to make a Horcrux and he was going to use her to do it. I was appalled by what he was planning to do. Everything that I read indicated that it could not be placed inside another living being. She didn't know that she was pregnant and when the incantation was performed...well, he didn't know that his soul would not live in her but in one of the children that she carried. " Snape raised the one uninjured eyebrow and stared at the bench where all of the objects were laid out. "I was there when it happened. Slughorn performed the spell. There was nothing I could do to help her."

Hermione stared at him both in horror and in fascination.

"She gave birth to the Horcrux... in the seventh month of her pregnancy. The Horcrux was destroyed when the premature child died. The other child was born two months later. Having had such a twin in the womb gave her son unknown powers and when Voldemort tried to kill him... well, it was apparent that the boy could not be destroyed."

Hermione sat down, suddenly weak with the new knowledge_. There had been twins! Lily Potter carried twins and one had been turned into a Horcrux!_

Hermione was shaking her head suddenly. "No, no, that's not the whole truth! You're still not telling all of it!" She leapt to her feet, suddenly angry. "There was no way for you to tell the difference! Lily Potter would have given birth to twins. You would not have known which one carried the Horcrux. You've been watching him, believing that the living human child died and that what was left behind was the Horcrux! You were prepared to kill him."

Snape looked at her. "Yes, I have watched him since birth. He clearly has magical powers, I was sure that he would. I was not sure what...or who he was. Dumbledore believed that he was safe." Snape stared out the door into the summer night. "He said that the boy could show love and that was proof enough." Snape remained silent and then a slight breeze guttered the candle and blew it out. They were in total darkness.

"He is not the Horcrux then is he?" Hermione asked. " If we destroy the vase, the snake is the last Horcrux."

Snape ignored her question. "The prophecy said two important things. 'Neither can live while the other survives' and...'the dark lord will mark him as his equal'. I did not know the whole of it until recently. One of the children died in the process of birth and one survived. The Dark Lord attempted to kill the living child and he was marked with a scar. I believe Voldemort saw his equal... he would know it as his own."

"But you think it means he's the Horcrux!" Hermione gasped. "How will we know?"

Snape turned to her, his darkened shadow the only thing visible. "A wizard's true abilities are not revealed until they undergo the coming-of-age ceremony. I performed that duty and now he is a full-fledged wizard. I can only say that I believe that he is human," he said the word carefully. "I know nothing else.

She stared at him and then at the vase that sat on the shelf and said, "If this is a viable Horcrux then it needs to be destroyed? Harry will die if I don't do it. Voldemort will be too strong."

"There must be a seed in which to plant this Horcrux and you expect me to be the one to plant it," Snape murmured. "You expect me to do this and then transfer the Horcrux into it. This is how you will sacrifice yourself, and how you want me to help you."

"Yes," she replied. "You did it for her didn't you? The child... the children were yours?"

She could not see his face in the dark. "That's why Dumbledore trusted you. He knew the truth. You tried to save her by impregnating her so that the child would be the Horcrux, not her. There was no way for you to know that she would bear twins."

"In that you are wrong, Miss Granger," he said immediately and there was the sound of remorse in his voice. "Lily was already pregnant."

Hermione thought about it and then said, "We can't do anything about the snake, Professor Snape. That is out of our control, but we can do something about this vase." She turned to him and pulled her robe off and dropped it on the bench. " In a way, both of you sacrificed a great deal and no one will ever know about it. We have to give Harry a chance."

"I can destroy the Horcrux without your sacrifice," he answered.

"And die in your attempt," she said.

"What does it matter?" Snape said in the dark. "I should have died a long time ago. Using dark magic makes things worse Miss Granger."

"No one will ever know," Hermione said reassuringly.

"The circumstance are different now, Miss Granger. I will not do what you ask, I will not watch another young woman go through that again."

Hermione stared at the vase.

"I will not transfer the Horcrux into you...nor plant the seed." Snape sighed deeply. "I have made many mistakes in my life but I will not make that one." Snape said tiredly, leaning against the wall.. "I don't know how to end this."

Minutes went by and it felt like hours. Hermione knew that he would not agree and there would be no argument. She thought about his last words. And it suddenly dawned on her. Voldemort was repeating his mistakes and would continue to repeat them.

Hermione reached for her wand and said, "I know how to end this."

"What are you going to do?" he asked, reaching for her arm.


	23. Chapter 23

THERE ARE THREE MORE CHAPTERS TO GO BEFORE THE END! Enjoy!. Natasha

Ch 23 The Sixth Horcrux

A dilemma. A diary, a ring, a locket, a cup, a snake, which makes five. The diary was destroyed, as were the locket and the ring. There was every chance that Malfoy had destroyed the cup. There was the snitch recovered from Gringott's bank that was now transfigured into a vase, sitting on a shelf in the crypt that held the bodies of the Potter family. There was the strong possibility that it was not a Horcrux. The twin that had shared space in the womb with Harry had died prematurely and if it had been a Horcrux then it had also been destroyed and that would have been the sixth one.

_Or_, Hermione thought, _it could be Harry. _Harry was the surviving twin and could also be the Horcrux and his dead brother would be an innocent victim.

But she had been around Harry for a very long time and knew him. And Voldemort had made mistakes, lots of mistakes. His Horcruxes were not safe. They had been scattered, like his physical body had been scattered, just like dust in the wind. He had not known about Lily's pregnancy and the twins. He had not secured the ring and Dumbledore had found it. He had been arrogant in leaving the diary where Malfoy could find it. He had turned over another precious one to Bellatrix Lestrange. One had been stolen from under his nose and a fake left in its place_. Oh yes, Voldemort you have been careless_, she thought. _And you are going to go on being careless with your precious soul aren't you?_

_The snake is the last one_, Hermione decided staring at Snape. He was right about refusing her. She was willing to sacrifice, to do whatever needed be done to give her friend a chance. But she realized that when all the information was put together, the entire truth, that truly the one and only Horcrux left had to be the snake. _If I'm wrong, I'm dead._

_She waved her wand over the vase before Snape could stop her. Her lips moved as she cast the spell shattering the vase into a thousand, thousand tiny dust particles._

She looked up at Snape and he stared at her in horror. Slowly, his expression changed and he rolled his eyes skyward. "The impulsiveness of youth," he murmured, squeezing his eyes shut momentarily before looking at her again. "That was foolish."

"According to you a person has to stop being afraid and be courageous. I call that..." she nodded at the remains of the vase laying on the marble floor, " being courageous. Now we have only to consider if the snake is the last one," she said very calmly, although her heart was pounding wildly in her chest.

He frowned and then nodded slowly.

"I think it's time that we go to Hogwarts, Professor Snape," she mumbled and gathered her belongings. "We may yet have a chance to sacrifice ourselves for the good of our world."

----------------------

Voldemort lay on his sofa and waited for news from the prison. He was about to leave the castle and go there. It was only a short time to midnight and he wanted to used the captives to perform the necessary magic with the boy. But he had summoned his companion Nagini and she had not arrived and neither had Wormtail. Malfoy had sent no word and they had not captured the Potter boy or Bella had failed. She was to have placed the cup in his hands immediately. Then, he knew that it would act as a window into the boy's mind, a place he dared not go to directly.

It was obvious that none of those things had occurred and he was, above all, a very impatient man. He stared at the portrait of Dumbledore once again and wanted to ravage it and vent his rage against it. Instead, he was treating it as if the figure within its' frame were still alive. If there had been any lips left on his face he would have curled them in derision.

He struggled to an upright position and that his feet, what remained of them, were dangling from his trunk. He slithered around the desk to curl up on the floor below the portrait.

"They will all pay, Dumbledore," he hissed. "They will all pay for their insubordination and treachery. None will survive that seek to harm me or betray me." He didn't realize that he spoke in parseltongue and that he had lost the ability to use human speech.

He didn't realize that his body was grotesque and transformed, and that scales of grayish-green covered him. He didn't realize that if he had wanted to wield a wand, that he could not. He no longer had arms or hands.

This did not occur to him. He felt more powerful then he had ever felt before. His senses were keener, his taste and smell exquisitely sensitive.

---------------

Nagini was reluctant to leave her eggs. The leathery round pouches were susceptible to drying and they needed the moisture and warmth of her body curled around them. She felt the human summon her and she forced herself to stay where she was at. It was a warm dry place in the garden near an entrance into the school where the sun heated the cobblestone during the day and it remained that way well into the night.

It was her first batch of eggs. Her master had never allowed her access to one of her own to fertilize the eggs. And though these were unnaturally fertilized, a product of magic and nature, she was satisfied as only a snake mother can be. There were six of them; all greenish and scaly except for the darker one that throbbed in their midst. She nosed this one away from the others and allowed it to cool in the night air.

---------------------------

Harry proceeded slowly through the ground floor, past the entrance, and the heavy oak doors of the Great Hall. The vast chamber was empty and there was no reflection from the ceiling which was now barren of stars or sky or clouds. It was an overhead canopy of wooden beams and cobwebs. He crept up the staircase and past the first floor classroom where Firenze had his class for divination. The door was bolted shut and Harry's hand wavered over it momentarily and then he moved on after glancing at it longingly. He felt the absence of his friends and the support he had grown accustomed to and had only just realized it.

Then stood in the doorway of Filches office.

It had been ransacked and the man's neatly arranged card system had been scattered over the floor and paper had escaped to fly down the hallway and mingle with other debris.

Harry was on his way to the library but couldn't help but ponder each new scene that he came across. There had been a struggle in several of the classrooms. He continued down the course of the corridor and made his way to the first floor and to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. He thought is Remus walking away from that classroom. It seemed like a long time ago and Harry paused and stared into the dark room and recalled his mother's words. She had been writing as if she had forgotten that she was leaving a message for her son. It sounded like she was writing as if she was also living through the moment again.

_I know that Remus never would have left me if there had not been a reason, _she wrote_. I know that he loved me, that Sirius loved me and Peter. I knew that as much as I knew that I loved them. My dear son, you can never do enough for friends like these. They would have sacrificed their lives for me and I...well, I have sacrificed. Without knowing it Voldemort made a Horcrux out of the child I carried. And only when it died and I still carried the other child did I know what had been done. It was horrible, beyond description and I grieved with all my heart. I needed Remus. He was always the one who could comfort me and comfort your father. James was torn apart by what had happened and wept bitterly. I could not console him._

_He was insane with grief and rage and swore that neither I or our child would suffer from Voldemort again. You see he thought that it was the torture that killed the child. He finally gave in to Sirius demands for action. I love Sirius but he was impetuous. They went to see Reggie._

_Can you imagine what it must be like to have caused all of this? If I had only listened to Severus I would have not been captured. I was not careful, I was too outspoken... No! That's not true. I was too stubborn. Ah but what has past cannot be changed..._

He moved quickly , time was getting away from him. He knew that if there was anyone that could help it would be Slughorn and Harry was now in the mood to make him help if he refused. He'd never liked the man and now had no compunctions about getting information from him.

He had never felt as lonely in his life as he did now. The halls were dark and empty and his friends were alive but could not help him. He had known somewhere in his heart that this day would come. Dumbledore had wanted to protect him from it and had kept information from him. Sirius had suffered greatly in Azkaban and had died trying to protect him. His parents...well that was an old sorrow. He hadn't known them or known anything about them until he had read his mother's diary. Oh the diary! How his mother had sacrificed; had suffered to protect him.

Harry felt the heavy weight of grief, like lead in his chest_. I had a brother_, he thought. _Voldemort not only killed my parents he killed my brother_. He knew that he shouldn't think about it. If he did he would lose his concentration and the rage would take over. And yet, he couldn't help but think about it for a moment as he walked.

And he was aware as he moved cautiously down the corridors and up the stairs that the castle was not exactly empty. It had changed and had grown colder and somehow grimier. He passed a tapestry and was aware that it was infested with doxies, a cabinet shook peceptibly and he was sure that it held a boggart. It had not been long since Voldemort had become a tenant and many dark and ugly creatures had moved in and made the once beautiful castle hallways dank and creepy. Not even the normally eerie ghosts that startled everyone as they popped out of the walls were making their appearance.

He held the wand in his wand hand and walked, stopped and listened, and then walked on. Harry was aware that the wand in his hand was foreign to him. It had belonged to Dumbledore. He also had not really performed much magic since having come-of-age.

He began to use it. he mentally performed the spells that he had learned through the years. EVANESCO! he thought and the not only did the wand produce the desired results it was astounding. A suit of armor vanished from its usual spot, and left a scooped out, crater size hole in the stone floor. He tried it again on a portrait and found that it once again performed remarkably and made the portrait disappear but also opened an new hole in the stone wall so that one could see inside the History of Magic classroom on the first floor.

He passed the girls bathroom on the second floor and stopped briefly to put his ear to the door. He heard no moans or otherwise any kind of noise from Moaning Myrtle who had wisely fled the bathroom and was probably hiding in the pipes somewhere. He would have liked to step in just to check it out. Although he didn't like being around the ghosts of Hogwarts, particularly this ghost, Moaning Myrtle had been helpful to him several times and he thought it wouldn't hurt to have all the help he could get.

He hesitated and then moved on, practicing his spell work as he went. The wand definitely seemed to have a mind of its own, or at least seemed to have memorized many of the spells that Dumbledore had known. Harry only had to think of something he wanted to do and sparks of varying colors would shoot out the end. He narrowly missed falling into what looked like a very deep pool of water with a adjacent waterfall that he had created on the floor with one awkward wave when he had only been thinking how thirsty he was.

Although he had not been very good at them, he attempted a switching spell and found to his delight that he could changed the pool of water into a goblet of water. Harry lost himself in performing several spells that he'd never really succeeded at doing before and suddenly found himself feeling very satisfied with the results. With each step he took the task of killing Voldemort didn't seem as daunting as it had once been.

With renewed determination he stepped by the stone gargoyle that led to the revolving stairway and Dumbledore' office and moved on towards the staircase that led to the second floor. He had to move quickly now, he realized because he had to get to the library and find Slughorn.

But his heart gave a small leap because each time he used the wand he thought he heard; _No, it couldn't be_, he told himself. _It is wishful thinking_..., but he thought he heard... Phoenix song.

--------------------------

Lupin arrived very near Hagrid's old burnt out hut and found Arthur Weasley and a group of wizards and witches clustered nearby.

"We haven't known what to do, Remus," Arthur said quietly. "If we burst in we could give Harry away. Ron's gone in after him!" Remus could hear the frustration in the man's voice as Arthur continued. "But it's so quiet. There should be more Death Eaters or others around if he...if Voldemort is in there and there are none."

Lupin stared up at the castle and saw very few lights on. Even if it was very late in the night there were always lights on.

He was about to say something when a movement caught his eye. A glimpse of something very light-colored and moving through the forest. Only his keen eyesight would have caught it. he motioned for the others to hide themselves and he waited wand out when the two figures past him.

"Stop!" he said and stepped into their path.

There was moment of heart-throbbing silence and then Remus heard Ron's voice.

"It's me, Remus, it's Ron."

"Who's with you," Remus asked.

"I've got Draco Malfoy."

A moment later as the others gathered around them again there was a several faint pops nearby and Lupin was beginning to wonder if they shouldn't just light some candles, set up tables and have a party. _If they kept on like this_, he thought, _someone would notice and give the alarm. _

To is surprise it was Hermione and Snape that stepped into the small circle.

"Is it done?" Lupin asked.

Hermione was the first to answer. "Yes, it's done. That leaves one." She had found Ron in the dark and had his protective arm around her shoulders. Lupin studied the night around them and listened with his sensitive ears while they talked. "Is Harry inside? No one has come out?"

"Just me and Draco," Ron answered quietly. The blond-haired boy stood quietly. Snape had stepped up beside him. Ron gestured at Draco and said, "He says Slughorn is inside. The Dark Lord is still there. There's no one else."

_That can't be_, Lupin thought. _He would not leave himself unguarded. _"Severus?"

Snape stepped forward after glancing at Draco.

"I'm going in," Remus began. "Will you go with me?"

"I'm going too," Hermione said. "Professor Snape and I have to deal with the last Horcrux." The few in the circle that had not heard of the Horcruxes gasped and there was some slight murmuring that was quickly silenced by Lupin.

"I'm going, too," Ron said. "Someone can watch Malfoy but you're not leaving me behind."

"Very well," Remus said. "No more or we could attract unwanted attention. The rest of you scatter out and send out a warning signal if you see anyone apparating on the boundaries of the grounds. "This just does not seem natural to me," he sighed. "Severus does this seem right o you?"

The man understood immediately and replied, "No. He would have the grounds heavily guarded. Perhaps he has already left for Azkaban. It is near midnight."

Lupin considered it and looked at Draco. "Are you sure there are no others in the castle, Draco?"

"Why are you asking him?" Ron said savagely. "You can't trust him!"

Snape stepped in front of Draco and Ron pushed forward into the older man's face.

Lupin stepped in. "We don't have time for this, Ron."

"Ron!" Arthur Weasley stepped over to put his hand on his son's arm.

"Where are they?" Snape asked, looking once over his shoulder at Draco. "Where are the Dark Lord's servants?"

"Are you with them, then?" Draco asked loudly and with a touch of sarcasm for his old teacher.

Before anyone could react Snape had swung around and had grabbed Draco by the front of his robes and lifted him so that his toes were dangling just above the grass. "Don't get cheeky with me, Draco," Snape growled. "You are lucky to be alive and you know it."

He leaned over the boy and his face, now badly disfigured, was a nose-length away from Draco's. It was clear the boy could see the destruction and he winced. "You father is dead and cannot save you now. I think you know that the Dark Lord will kill you in the end and it will not pleasant. For once in your life use your common sense. If you want to survive then speak now."

Draco nodded slowly still in the iron-tight grip of his old teacher. "There were others... goblins and...and wizards. The Death Eaters were sent out on some errand. There are two dozen or more. I don't know anything else." His voice was weak and Snape glared at him. The faint light of the waning moon bathed their faces and they waited, watching the two.

"What errand?" Snape asked.

Draco shook his head. "He is changed. He's...he's not human anymore!" He struggled in the grasp and Snape let him down tot he ground his hand still at his throat. "He sits up in Dumbledore's office and...and he talks to Dumbledore's portrait. He's gone mad!"

Lupin stepped in closer and asked, "Who else is in the castle? He would not stay by himself. How does he protect himself?"

"There's a room," Draco began. "I discovered it and...and my...my father used it..."

"The Room of Requirement?!" Hermione hissed. "Are you talking about the one on the

--------------- floor. The one that you helped him use the night of Dumbledore's death?"

Draco was nodding. "Yes...yes, that's the one. My father and his friends came through the cabinets. There was one at Borgin and Burkes. Father used Polyjuice Potion and..." at this Draco looked back into Snape's eyes. "...and he changed into Professor Snape." There were suddenly tears in Draco's eyes. "I was...suppose to kill him. I wanted to kill him to show my father that I wasn't a...coward."

They all stood in stunned silence before Snape spoke. "Killing a man does not make you courageous, Draco. We are wasting time. Where is the snake? Where is Nagini?"

Draco pondered the question, shaking himself lose. "It is somewhere in the castle. It won't go near him anymore."

"And Pettigrew?" Snape asked curtly.

"I haven't seen him."

"Slughorn?"

"In the library," Draco answered.

"What about the Room of Requirement?" Hermione asked.

Draco looked like he was going to hesitate and Snape reached for him again. He shied away and said, "There's a house elf, Kreacher. If there's trouble he's supposed to open the room. There are wizards hiding there."

_Ahhh_, Lupin thought. _That's where they are._

"What about the grounds?" Arthur asked. "Are there any wizards guarding the grounds?"

"How am I suppose to know everything?" Draco sputtered.

"I, too, have the dark mark Draco and even now it burns me. I know that he is angry and he calls to us." Draco was silent and Snape stepped closer menacingly. "I am trying to help you, Draco," he said so quietly that Lupin thought the others could not hear, "but I will let him have you if you do not help us now."

"There's...there's something about Dumbledore's tomb."

Hermione was the first to speak, "A Trojan Horse."

They all stared at her silently.

"It's a muggle concept," she sighed and spoke very quickly. "Very simply they placed an army inside of an immense horse and then gave the horse to their enemy as a gift. The horse was pulled inside the fortress and in the dead of night the army escaped the horse and took over the city."

Lupin nodded to Arthur Weasley. "Take some of your people and guard the tomb. There will be others who'll arrive shortly. McGonagal and Scrimgeour are at Azkaban. Send word to them you need assistance. We are going inside." He turned and the other three, Snape, Ron and Hermione moved to follow. He turned back and said, "And Arthur put a guard on Draco. Make sure he doesn't get away."

------------------------

Harry saw the light in the library as soon as he stepped on to thee fourth floor. He walked on cat-like feet until he reached the doorway. The view stunned him. Slughorn was in the center of the room surrounded by some of the very parchments and books that he had seen Hermione examining. There were several bubbling cauldrons and the man was on is hands and knees scribbling on the floor with what looked like an oversized piece of chalk. He as drawing figures on the floor and setting lit candles at various angles. He was also mumbling to himself and looked like nothing more than a deranged lunatic.

Harry walked slowly in glanced around and then stopped at the edge of the circle that Slughorn had drawn. The man was busy writing cryptic figures and numbers at various points along the circle and stopped cold when he came to Harry's feet. He looked up, his beet-red face sweating and his eyes wide with terror.

-------------------------

"Hello, Professor Slughorn," Harry said softly pointing the wand in the pudgy face. "I'd like a word with you."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-four Slughorn

The fat man scrambled, crab-like across the floor on the palms of his hands and toes and fell face down at Harry's feet all tucked in like a roly-poly bug. He moved fairly quickly for a person of such girth. "Harry! Harry! You shouldn't be here!" he cried.

"You helped him...you were there when he tried to make a Horcrux of my mother. You helped him," Harry repeated quietly, staring down at the bald spot on the crown of the man's head. Hair had been combed over it to try and cover it an it struck Harry oddly. There were very few adults that he had come to respect in his life and when he had, he had almost always become disillusioned. It had even happened with Dumbledore. And here was a man that he hadn't really liked from the beginning and it had gone downhill from there. He still could not bring himself to hate the man.

Slughorn's red-rimmed eyes looked wildly around the room as if he were thinking of an excuse and then he arched his back and looked up into Harry's face, nodding slowly, "Yes. Yes, I helped him. Kill me, Harry. I want you to kill me," he began and broke into savage sobs that made his body tremble like jelly. He dropped his head onto the back of his flattened hands and his muffled voice sounded from the floor, "He's going to be here soon and he'll kill me horribly. I...I...I'd rather you do it," he sobbed.

Harry looked at the man without sympathy. He was pointing Dumbledore's wand at him but remained silent.

Slughorn pushed himself up and slowly rose to his knees. "I couldn't stop it, Harry. You've got to believe me. I liked your mother. She was such a bright student while she was at Hogwarts. But she wouldn't stop...wouldn't stop talking about him and what he was doing. It was so dangerous! I told Dumbledore, I told him he should advise her to stop." The man's eyes were still rolling around wilding and he had grasped his hands in an attitude of prayer and was rocking back and forth in agitation. "I couldn't stop him...the...the Dark Lord! Trust me, when he tortured her, I was in as much pain..."

"Stop!" Harry breathed. He put as much force behind the words as he could muster without shouting them. He didn't think he could bear to hear about it from this man. He also did not want to use the silencing charm out of fear that the wand would take away the man's speech entirely. He was gaining a growing respect for its' powers. And yet, he bit his tongue and felt the taste of blood as he glared at Slughorn. Now, he could feel the heat of anger rising.

The man rocked back on his heels and his knuckles whitened with the increased pressure. "Yes, yes, anything you say," he whispered. The sweat was pouring down his face and even though he clamped them shut in silence, his lips continued to move involuntarily as if he were continuing his version of the story.

It was clear to Harry that he was he was so terrorized that he was very close to insanity. "I will protect you from him," he began, "and in exchange you will help me."

"Oh yes, yes, dear boy," he whispered again. "I'll do anything, anything! But...but protect me?" He hesitated and asked, "So you are the Horcrux?" His eyes narrowed and he stared into Harry's face as if searching for something in it.

Harry had partly turned away and then swung his wand arm back and stepped forward and leaned in over him and in so that he breathed directly into his face. "NO, I AM NOT! he hissed. "That was my twin brother! You and Voldemort performed the charm to place a Horcrux in my mother. She was pregnant at the time and my twin brother became the Horcrux!"

Slughorn paled and rolled his eyes away from Harry's and squeezed them shut. He was once again trembling. "A twin?" he whined more to himself then to Harry. It was clear he was astonished by the news.

"Yes, Mr. Slughorn," Harry said between gritted teeth. "She was pregnant with twins. Now where is the snake? Where is Nagini?" Slughorn was still digesting the information and not paying attention. "Where is Nagini?!" Harry asked sharply.

"Oh...oh...uh," Slughorn was climbing to his feet. "In the garden, out on the grounds I think. I don't know. Why?"

"She is the sixth Horcrux. Isn't that right? " Harry asked. "You should know you made them. You have to help me kill her."

Slughorn looked at him in surprise and got to his feet and began to back into the room on his tiny slipper-ed feet. "Kill her? Why...why... she is His companion. He would be...infuriated. Yes, she is a Horcrux," he admitted and cringed as Harry stepped closer. "But she cannot be destroyed. They cannot be destroyed."

"You are wrong," Harry said quietly and calmly. "The others are destroyed."

He wasn't sure that was true but was hoping that Snape had managed to make it true. He didn't think about it because he knew that destroying the snake would make one less thing to contend with.

Slughorn shrugged and stared at his pudgy fingers as if he had left a smudge of sugar there somewhere and intended to lick it off. "Destroyed? How is that possible?"

Harry was growing impatient. The man couldn't seem to pull himself together. "If we kill her will it destroy the Horcrux inside of her?" Harry asked.

Slughorn nodded and then shook his head and then nodded again. He couldn't seem to make up his mind. "I don't know. I don't KNOW!" he cried and spun in a circle like a rotund ballet dancer.

_All that was missing was a pink tutu_, Harry thought and then frowned. The man's panic was causing him to lose focus. "You should know," he said angrily. "You made them!"

Slughorn faced him, staring blankly and said, "Yes, yes, but I never...I don't know how to destroy them. I never knew that, my dear boy!"

Harry strolled forward forcing the man to step back. "What does a man get for doing such a thing, Mr. Slughorn? What payment did you receive for creating such abomination?" He looked down at the circle scribbled on the floor. He stood in the middle of it and the man had backed away a little further. "What does Voldemort plan to do? I know that he set a trap for me here."

"He wants to steal your soul, Harry," Slughorn said, thickly. "He's...he's insane. But he can possess you, can take possession and..." he shook his head and his pudgy jowls swayed back and forth. "It's just too horrible..." he began and spittle pooled at the corner of his mouth. "It can't be done, but I am ordered to do it. I'm to take your soul and transfer it to him. He expects too much..." Slughorn appeared to be talking to himself and studying the circle that he had drawn on the floor. The man looked equally mad and, suddenly almost jubilant, as Harry stepped into the middle of the circle. His own feet were on the edge and he hurriedly moved back as if he stood on a precipice.

"I'm really sorry, Harry," Slughorn said forlornly and wiped chalk dust from his fingers. "But you see, I didn't want to die." The crazed eyes met Harry's and together they dropped and looked at the scribbling on the floor which now looked very much like a skull with a snake curling out of its mouth.

Harry quickly backed away from Slughorn and found that he almost immediately hit an invisible wall. He had been trapped!

-----------------------

"Remus?" Tonks had stayed in the background and now stepped forward with Ginny Weasley at her side.

He had wanted to keep her safe, had wanted her to stay behind, and he squeezed his eyes closed as he turned back.

"She's clumsy, Lupin and she will give us away if you take her with us," Snape said in the dark. The old snarling voice was back.

Lupin stepped over to her, held her by the arms and kissed her lightly on the lips. "Take Fred and George, Fleur and Bill and go to Hogsmeade." He stopped and looked over at Ginny. "Ginny go along with them. Fred and George show her the way through the secret tunnel up to Hogwarts. You'll find yourself coming up behind a hump-backed witch statue." Lupin smiled at the twins and said, turning back to her, "They know the way. Cover the Room of Requirement and make sure no one comes out." The twins, Bill, Fleur and Ginny were at her side in a moment. "We depend on you," he said and tried to convey confidence. "I depend on you," he emphasized and stared at the few dark figures remaining around them. He suddenly thought of something. "And find Hagrid. Find out where he's gotten to."

He turned quickly and hurried through the dark with his four companions behind him. He tried not to think about her as they headed up towards the castle.

-------------------------

Voldemort had seemingly forgotten the time. He was now slithering around the room wearing the Sorting Hat on his scaly head. He was speaking to the room at large and sounding very jolly, although the words were not human anymore.

"You have another chance, hat!" he chortled. "You have a chance to sort me one more time and then your time will be over. Never more will you preside over the sorting of the students in this school. They will all be mine!"

What had developed as a tail attached to his elongated trunk now slithered around the stone floor with a rustling sound.

------------------------

"What have you done?" Harry asked.

-------------------------

The castle was not as empty as it had been when Harry entered and met up with Draco. This time as Ron, Hermione, Snape and Remus entered they were met by a band of Death Eaters led by Bellatrix Lestrange. The alarm had been sounded and the halls were infiltrated by witches and wizards as well as any number of creatures loyal to Voldemort.

Snape and Lupin moved out ahead of Ron and Hermione who walked backwards part of the time covering their backs. Any hope of getting to Harry in the library was almost impossible as they fought their way forward almost one halting step at a time.

Hogwarts had also taken on an almost ominous dark quality of its own as if the new tenant had repainted the walls with despair and gloom. It was difficult to distinguish the once beautiful school and its shining hallways from the now dank dark atmosphere of the school as it presently stood.

----------------------------

"Perhaps I should let him have you after all, Slughorn," Harry said in anger as he fully realized his predicament. He wasn't sure that he could break the spell that bound him inside the Dark Mark but he was sure that he could kill Slughorn from within it. "Move and I will have you," he hissed as Slughorn edged around the circle towards the door.

"We are going to MAKE Voldemort think that you can perform the magic that he wants; we will let him know that I am here and you are ready to proceed," Harry said finally, holding his wand lightly in his hand but pointing it directly at the man, nonetheless.

A memory flooded him. The memory was about Sirius writhing in agony as Voldemort tortured him with the Cruciatus Curse. Only, Sirius had not been tortured, had not even been around Voldemort at all. Voldemort had entered his mind, possessed him and had placed the pictures there and he had believed them. Harry had been tricked into going to the Ministry, and going to the Department of Mysteries.

Now, Harry was going to turn the tables, he was going to pay Voldemort back for killing Sirius by using his own tricks. It meant using occlumency and he'd only taken a few lessons from Snape but it was the only way. He needed to enter Voldemort's mind he knew that much. Whatever else he needed to do was still unclear.

"What...what do you intend to do, Harry?" Slughorn gasped as if reading his mind. He stood clutching his hand to his chest as if it would help him bring more air into his lungs. He was so frightened that he was sweating and heaving in his attempts to breathe. "He's... he's well protected, "he gasped. "There are Death Eaters in the castle. Pettigrew is around somewhere and even that dreadful snake, Nagini, is nearby. You are out-numbered. You cannot hope to slay him Harry, he is too powerful."

"You are a coward and worse," Harry managed to say. "You are an accomplice to murder; Dumbledore's, Sirius', even my parents. You have many deaths on your conscience, Slughorn. Will you add mine to it or will you help me?"

"I did not want to help him. You must believe me," Slughorn whined. "He was such a handsome, brilliant student and I...I wanted to see him do well. He came to me, often, asking for little things, most often just asking questions, and in return he saw to my needs." Slughorn wrung his chubby hands. "I was seduced as much as anyone by his charm and his way of disarming people and blinded by the early signs that he was experimenting in the dark arts...that he was...so...so evil."

He continued, "I am not a brilliant wizard, or hardly even a talented one, Harry. Perhaps talented only in being able to see the skills and talents of others. I have made a career of that very thing. And...and I knew... believed that he would come to be a very powerful wizard. But I swear I did not know the depths of darkness that was in his heart. By the time I became aware, I was in debt to him..." Slughorn wheezed out a sob. "Yes, in debt... very much in his debt."

Harry was growing impatient. He did not want to hear the man's confession and yet he knew that this man knew more about Voldemort then anyone else. "So how do I kill him?" he asked simply. "All but Nagini has been destroyed, and Voldemort is at his weakest and it's my only chance. Break this incantation and turn me loose. He will not let you live whether I live or die and you know it. If you turn me loose, you stand a chance of surviving and maybe wiping your slate clean."

Slughorn's eyes were again on the floor and he raised his head. "Your mother knew. She understood the sacrifice needed to save others. You must do the same. You must let him try to kill you."

Harry studied the man's eyes to search for a hint of truth or lie and wished more than anything at that moment that he had Veritaserum. He laughed a little and replied, "I think that one has been done already."

"No...no... you don't understand. He cannot kill you."

"Yes, I know," Harry answered. "I have been told that as well. It's a little hard to believe given that if it's a lie then my life is forfeit and Voldemort goes on, and if it's the truth then he will just be exiled again and his body destroyed with the chance that he will again be resurrected. Believe me Slughorn, I don't think any of us want to go through that again."

The pudgy man's eyes jerked back and forth in their sockets as if looking to find the answer somewhere in the room. "I don't know, Harry. I really don't know how to kill him." He looked up in desperation. "Don't you think I would have tried to assassinate him before this if I knew how?"

"Would you have?" Harry asked once again impatient circling the area where he was entrapped. "And not have all of your needs met?" he asked sarcastically. He then stepped forward once again and met Slughorn almost nose-to-nose although unable to step over the barrier to actually touch the man. "Break the charm and set me free."

Slughorn backed away shaking his head and looking as frightened as he did when Harry stepped into the room. "I can't," he said, pleadingly.

"KREACHER?" Slughorn called a moment later as they stood staring at one another. The house elf popped into the room immediately, backed away and hissed and snarled when he saw Harry.

"You have brought this horrible boy here and set a trap for him," Kreacher growled staring at the mark on the floor. "Good...good. The dark master will deal with you now," he said to Harry and grinned a most terrible and perverted grin. "Together the master and Kreacher will rid the world of the half-blood, muggle-born scum."

"Are you saying you have two masters, Kreacher?" Harry asked grimly. "How is it possible for you to serve two masters since you are aware that you serve me and can serve no other?"

Slughorn glanced over at the elf who was cringing and glaring furiously at Harry but remaining silent.

Harry continued, "I have not set you free, Kreacher nor do I intend to. However, if your intent is to call Him here then do it, but understand that you cannot betray me to him. You must obey me in whatever I ask of you." Harry stood watching the elf and could hear Hermione's voice in his head. Harry had no qualms about treating the elf as a servant particularly in this situation.

Slughorn looked suddenly less anxious as he studied the two of them. "I can do one thing for you, Harry," he finally said. "I still have a little of the Felix Felicis potion," he said and produced a vial from his breast pocket of the amber colored liquid that brought good luck when drunk. He looked at it longingly and it was very clear to Harry that the man wanted to use it for himself. There were but a few drops left.

"No, thank you," Harry growled. "I don't think I want to depend on that to save my life." He knew that the man had been using it fairly frequently. _And perhaps_, Harry thought, _that's why he's still alive_. Still words from his mother's diary floated through his mind as he watched him stuff it back in his pocket looking very relieved. It wasn't always wise, she had said, to depend on magic for everything. He thought he might just heed that advice now.

Harry turned towards Kreacher and gave an order, "Stay put Kreacher." He also immediately shouted, "EXPELLIARMUS!" as he saw Slughorn withdraw his wand and start to use it. He remembered very how adept the man was at transfiguration. He had not known the man had changed into a puffy chair the night he and Dumbledore had searched him out. "I think not," he said. "I think we shall face Voldemort together, Professor."

The man's face grew gray with dread and he slumped into a chair outside the circle. Harry waved Dumbledore's wand and transfigured a pouffy chair for himself. One very much like the one Dumbledore had made for himself when Harry had been on trial before the Wizengamot. Harry sat down tiredly and prepared himself. He was going to do a little mind-traveling himself, he decided.

----------------------------

Voldemort had been a very powerful wizard at one time. However, with the loss of so much of his soul, his body was changing into that of the creature he most resembled and because of it he was also taking on its' animal nature and mentality. Surprisingly, he was not cognizant of the fact or if he was, it did not disturb him.

His thoughts were no longer on the protection of the castle, the execution of the prisoners at Azkaban, catching Harry Potter or any of the other thousands of things that were coming to a critical juncture. Instead, he was tired of the jocular time he'd been having and decided that it was time to roam the halls of the building in search of rats to feed on because he was hungry; and hungry as only an animal can be. And so it was the first and foremost thing on his mind and very little besides that occupied his thoughts.

Of course, the last and final piece of his soul, the Seventh Horcrux still resided in his now quite disfigured body. It still held the remnants of the powerful wizard and could be activated to rouse the human parts as it had done once before when Voldemort had lost his body the first time. The exception was that Voldemort's brain remained intact on the first occasion and had not been compromised. Each animal he possessed in his journey to stay alive and regain his body had not changed him in any way. Nor had any of the wizards, like Professor Quirrell. He had remained intellectually in charge and as emotionally empty as he had always been.

That was not the case now. His human counterpart now lying dormant within the changeling and was the weaker of the two. It would not take much for it to be roused and the moment that Harry entered his mind with his rather crude and unskilled probing Voldemort-the wizard- came awake. His now animalistic emotions were in full force. unbridled and ferocious. He headed for the library with one thing on his mind and one thing only. He would devour the bringer if this pain he suffered. He would strike first and ask questions later. He was a very angry snake.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-five Fawkes

Harry had never wandered through the landscape of someone else's mind on his own. Yes, he had been an innocent intruder into Dumbledore's thoughts when he had been curious and had gone into the Pensieve and seen the trials of the Death Eaters. He had viewed Dumbledore's memories of his travels in search of the Horcruxes in the same way. He'd also accidentally wandered into Snape's thoughts during Occlumency lessons but he had never intentionally sought out the thoughts of anyone and had certainly avoided those of Voldemort.

Now, he sat in the chair, eyes closed and moving behind the lids. He was in such an alien and foreign place that he was not sure he had succeeded at first. The thoughts came as the others had done, in pieces and short bursts. Then they began to solidify into one scene. He was in Dumbledore's office viewing it through another's eyes and not his own. The owner of those eyes was not aware, at first, of his presence.

The view was startling different then what is seen through human eyes. These were somewhat myopic. Everything that was further then a few meters away was fuzzy and blurred, much like those of a retile with poor vision.

Harry, at first, could not separate his own thoughts from those of Voldemort's because he reached with his hand for his own glasses, knowing from long experience that the reason he couldn't see was that he had forgotten to put them on. In the room, Slughorn watched as Harry reached into space for some invisible object, mimicking picking something up and placing it on his face. And then Harry understood at last that it was Voldemort's vision that was impaired and not his own.

As his thoughts shadowed the dark lord's he watched from his unknown position as the wizard moved about the room in a very smooth motion. The action was so strange that Harry glanced down and a part of him was horrified at the body he wore. He was a snake and had the vision of a snake. Other senses were honed to an exquisite sharpness; taste, touch and smell.

Voldemort's thoughts were simple, which surprised Harry. He was cold and uncomfortable and he was hungry. There was no emotional fabric present; there were no emotions. He was also surprised that for being such a genius, there were no sophisticated thoughts present at all.

Harry listened, if that is what it could be called, for the echo of the human that was left and there was very little. Dissatisfied, he searched the shadows of the vacuous mind and that was when he seemed to stumble on the an area, closed and secluded, like a locked closet. Now, this is what he would have said if pushed to describe it; although there are no closets in the mind. It might be more appropriate he might say to call it a deep abyss, for this territory certainly seemed sinister, dark and deep; bottomless actually. And because he was not adept at Occlumency he stumbled towards it, mental hand outreached and stared down into it as if looking into the depths of a well. He was therefore not surprised when only emptiness stared back.

But that was an illusion and offered only momentary relief.

What suddenly roared up out of that subconscious chasm was the Dark Lord. Voldemort charged to the surface with such a frightening cataclysmic wrench that Harry, sitting in the library, was thrown into a spasm that made his body rigid and stiff. His mind was momentarily so stunned that he remained in the darkness of that horrific mind and was so stunned his own mind did not work. He was horrorstruck and helpless to understand what was assaulting him. He was pressed up against a wall of the mind he occupied and was staring at a monstrous vision that reared up before him ready to engulf him with its' huge gaping mouth. He was trying to back away and not succeeding. He felt himself drowning in his own fear and was powerless to do anything.

A voice penetrated his stunned thoughts. This was not the furious, raging voice of Voldemort. This was a familiar voice; it was Snape. "Potter. Listen to me. Leave this mind now and return. Follow my voice and I will guide you."

To Harry the voice was distant, almost a whisper. The thoughts of the dark lord were amplified to the point that he placed his hands over his ears, although they were mental hands and mental ears, and felt that his brain was going to burn up from the heat of the anger that he heard and felt. His scar, having been dormant for so long, was now a gaping rip on his forehead and he was mentally bleeding to death from it. In the library, he wept and moaned in agony.

"Follow my voice, Potter." The cooler, soothing, deep voice reached him and he turned his head and sought out the relief it brought. "Come to me, Harry." This time he was able to force himself away and move towards the voice. He stumbled, slowly moving into the dark and then almost sobbing in relief; he ran towards it.

As he withdrew from Voldemort's mind, he began to see sparks of colored lights blinking behind his own shuttered eyelids. It was very much like seeing the lights of a Christmas tree through blurry eyes. He reached out with his hands towards the light and the calm, cool voice. His scar, had, moments ago, felt like he had been branded with a hot iron. It throbbed but the pain eased and he no longer felt like he was going to die in agony. His body relaxed and he opened his eyes.

He sat in the library and before him stood Severus Snape, his face ravaged and raw from recent wounds. His black eyes were studying him, not unkindly. He was holding onto the back of Slughorn's robes and holding a wand in his other hand. Harry looked at him and enjoyed a moment of just taking in one lungful of air after another in the piece and tranquility of the dimly lit room.

He took a moment to look out the windows of the room and gather himself together. to his surprise he saw the multicolored lights outside. He was reminded of the day that the Weasley twins had set out their famous fireworks in the halls to drive Delores Umbridge to despair. They were there again and then Harry realized that they were also in the hallways and the lights he had seen behind closed lids were coming from this light show. It was almost obvious from the beginning that the twins had improved on their original models. The display was magnificent in its brilliance. Harry could only imagine what Weasleys Wizard Wheeses and Wildfire Whiz-bangs were doing.

Snape remained silent and Harry finally looked back at him. He had regained his composure and the dreadful feelings that the trip into Voldemort's mind had produced were ebbing away. He knew that Snape had shared the Occlumency and had been present in his mind and Voldemort's. He had rescued him from the psychic nightmare.

"Where's Hermione and Ron? Lupin?" Harry asked.

"They are fighting their way here," Snape answered. "We have become separated. Miss Granger and Mr Weasley are dealing with Nagini. Lupin is leading a group against the Death Eaters that were hidden in the Room of Requirement. There are others outside the walls...those you call Dumbledore's Army and some of the Order. They have shown up to fight a battle on the grounds. There is a giant among them and Hagrid."

Harry listened as if they were having a casual conversation when both of them knew that they waited for one thing, and one thing only; and he was coming very quickly.

"Leave and take him with you," Harry said and nodded towards Slughorn. "Save yourself."

Snape shook his head and there was trace of fear there that sent shivers through Harry's body. Snape spoke calmly, "You cannot kill him. You have awakened a demonic force that is beyond you; beyond us all. I was in that mind. it is no longer Lord Voldemort."

Harry was taken back when he heard Snape use the name but his words brought it home what he already knew. He nodded. He had been in that mind for only a few minutes and knew that he did not have a chance.

"I have sworn an oath to protect you," Snape murmured studying the dark mark etched on the floor and the cringing weeping Kreacher nearby. He didn't ask why the house elf was present. "I cannot break this spell," he said looking at the mark. He then shook Slughorn like a rag and pointed at the mark with his wand. "Remove this!"

Slughorn's eyes had rolled back in his head so that only the whites were showing and he was buckling at the knees. Harry took a moment to admire Snape's strength at holding the porky man upright and at arms length.

Snape pointed his wand at the man and opened his mouth to speak. Harry knew what he was going to do, he was going to use the Cruciatus Curse to force him. "No! Stop! Let him go." He rose from the chair and stepped to the edge of the chalked dark mark. "Can't you see he is beyond understanding now?"

Snape let go of the man who fell unconscious to the floor. He had fainted dead away.

Harry and Snape stared at one another for a heartbeat and then Snape spoke. "I did not spend the last seventeen years keeping you alive to let you die now."

Harry knew that he could not persuade the man to change his mind. He had taken an Unbreakable Vow . "My mother would have told you that you have done enough. The fight is between Voldemort and myself."

"This is suicide," Snape growled, ignoring the reference to Lily Potter. "Leave this and save yourself. Sometimes it's wiser to save the fighting for another day."

"Go then," Harry commented dryly. He turned away listening to the noises in and outside the building. "Besides he's not supposed to be able to kill me." His scar was once again burning brightly and he didn't want Snape to see his eyes tear up. The headache it caused felt like his head would cleave in two at any minute.

Harry shook his head.

"I was also in his mind," Snape continued. "He has changed. What is there is the essence of a man and all of the cunning and skill of an animal; a predator hunting its prey. He will be formidable and here very shortly." Snape glared at him. "Make the elf break the binding spell so that you are at least not trapped."

Harry glanced at Kreacher who was frowning at Snape.

"Never underestimate the power of a house-elf, Potter," Snape said.

"Kreacher break this spell," Harry pointed at the dark mark etched on the floor of the library. The elf crossed his arms before him and appeared to be ready to defy him. "Do it now!" The elf growled and reluctantly waved his hand. Harry was at the edge of the chalk marks and put a toe over them. There was no invisible barrier present.

"Do not waste your life," Snape said and Harry looked into his eyes. "Harry your mother would not want you to stand here and die without a way to defend yourself." His voice was gentle and his face was so grim with determination that Harry thought about it and then slowly nodded.

Snape grabbed him by the robes and literally dragged him into the hallway. "Run!" he shouted.

They started off down the corridor. From one end they saw figures drawing near and Harry glimpsed Lupin, followed by Ron, Tonks, Arthur Weasley and Kingsley Shacklebolt. They both glanced back at the same time and saw the snake coming from the other direction. it was advancing much too quickly for them to escape. They both stopped and faced it.

Harry knew that the snake was not a basilisk, it was smaller and most notably had the head of a human; actually it wasn't all human but recognizably human.

Voldemort spoke to him in parseltongue, "I have you now. You cannot escape, you and your traitor friend." Harry knew he was speaking of Snape. "If you like intruding in my mind so much Potter then let use do the deed permanently. You have but t look me in the eye Harry and we will share our minds. You will become immortal like me." The snake slithered forward slowly.

Harry held his wand up and was about to speak the killing curse when immediately between them burst Hermione and Ginny, followed closely by Neville and Luna. There were others coming from behind a hidden tapestry and they were in the immediate line of fire.

"Ginny!" Harry shouted. The group had not seen the snake. They had entered the hall facing Harry and Snape. Meanwhile the party coming from the other direction had stopped to fight a group of wizards that had come upon them from an adjoining hallway. The noises and the sparks from flying spells were shooting past Harry and hitting statuary and taking chips out of stone masonry.

Both Ginny and Hermione turned around slowly and were within stretching distance of Voldemort. Both shrank back in horror while Neville pushed the people he was with behind the tapestry.

Voldemort raised himself up to the height of the ceiling. "Come to me girl," he hissed. And although he was barely intelligible, Ginny almost immediately went blank-faced and rigid and started walking towards him.

"No!" Harry and Snape shouted simultaneously, starting forward with their wands drawn..

Hermione looked over and grabbed for her. At the same time Voldemort struck with lightening speed, so that it was a blur to Harry's eyes. He did not see the fangs sink into Hermione's shoulder and see her thrown back to the floor. He was already moving forward with his wand up.

"AVADA KADVAERA!" he shouted and saw the green spark erupt from the wand. It struck Voldemort directly in the chest and the half-human grinned a fanged grin and drew back. Ginny was still advancing towards him and it was clear Voldemort was using her to separate Harry from the now advancing crowd at his back.

"That will not work on me, Harry," Voldemort said and there was the sound of delight in his voice. "Do you not think I would make myself impervious to the Unforgivable Curses. I who have gone beyond any wizard and have found the true path to immortality? Did that goat Dumbledore teach you nothing?"

Harry didn't stop when he reached Hermione's body but continued while Snape dropped to her side.

"You will not harm another person that I care about!" Harry shouted. He was again experiencing a fiery searing pain across his brow but he was so angry that he was ignoring the pain and still walking forward. "You must die!"

Ginny was standing with her back to him and facing the snake. Voldemort had raised himself above her and wavered within striking distance. His comically snake-shaped body flapped useless hands and feet, but the business end of his fangs glimmered faintly in the light. His mouth was open and he was leaning in over Ginny's neck. Harry knew that the bite was venomous. He could already hear a wail come up from Ron who had come down the hall with the others and would now be at Hermione's side. He didn't dare turn to look

"I will not let you have her!" Harry cried and raised his wand and with all of the anger and despair bubbling up from years of torment and sorrow he shouted with all of the energy of his body and mind, "SECTUMSEMPRA!" The wand he held tingled with raw energy and the song of the Phoenix burst cool and clear through the searing pain in his forehead.

Voldemort's head was neatly severed from the torso and just before it fell a rather beautiful vision appeared before Harry's eyes. the scarlet plumage of a large bird appeared. Fawkes swooped down the hall over his head and grasped the severed head in his claws as it fell and flew down the corridor into the dim light and out of sight. The headless body collapsed and wiggled spasmodically on the floor while Ginny Weasley fainted dead away at Harry's feet.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty six Dumbledore's Advice

Harry knelt beside Ginny as Mr. and Mrs. Weasley rushed up. Arthur Weasley picked his daughter up and rushed off. Harry stood and turned to look at Hermione, stunned and unfocused. Snape was kneeling beside her and Remus and Ron were on the opposite side looking down.

"You will live!" Snape said firmly, looking into her face. He turned to Ron who was white-faced. "Go down to my potion's closet and fetch me back white clover leaf and runnel. Do you know what to look for?"

Ron was still staring at the inert body of Hermione.

"Mr. Weasley!" Snape exploded.

Ron nodded. He immediately turned and ran back down the hall. Snape glanced around. The hall was filling with people as Harry, stumbled towards him.

"Longbottom!" Snape shouted.

Harry turned his head slightly as Neville walked past and over to Snape. The man looked at him. "Go to the greenhouses and bring me the Devil's claw plant. Do you know it?"

Neville also nodded and took off at a run.

It seemed to Harry that he was walking through mud. Everyone else seemed to be moving at the speed of light while he had only just arrived and looked down at Hermione. He collapsed to his knees beside her and looked at Snape who looked back.

"Alive?" he gasped breathless. "Is she still alive?"

Snape nodded and was holding her head in the crook of his arm, where her hair draped down to the floor behind it.. The bite mark was visible. It was white and veins of black stretched from it like deadly tendrils. The edges of the two bite holes were curdled white skin. Hermione's face was pale and it seemed like the very edges of her skull was shining through the translucent skin.

Harry studied her face and then looked into Snape's. "I can't do this," he murmured. "I can't survive if she dies. I can't stand it." He said it simply and somehow knew that he was in shock and yet could do nothing about it. He felt nothing, not Remus touch on his shoulder; heard nothing going on around him, not the noise and sounds of whispering in the gathering crowd and saw nothing but the white face before him. He took her hand between his own; it felt like ice.

"Shouldn't we move her to the hospital wing," Remus asked.

Snape shook his head. "The least amount of movement will force the venom through her faster. We must wait until they bring the ingredients to the potion."

Harry felt his vision blur and did not understand that it was his tears that caused it. "You cannot let her die."

Snape stared at him and caught his eyes. "I will do what I can."

Harry nodded and grasped her hand tighter. He continued to stare at Snape as if his own conviction would somehow make it true. They waited and Harry knew that movement was taking place around him and yet could not attend to it. He kept watching Snape who finally leaned over slightly.

"I loved your mother, Potter. Death took her from me and I have resented it all my life. There was a quality about her that I shall never forget, one that abides in this girl. It is a light that cuts through the darkness of the soul. It made living bearable and believe me there were many times when I felt that I could not go on." Snape's black eyes were almost glaring at him as he spoke. His voice was intense and almost terrible. "I would have done anything to prevent Lily's death. Since I could not I will stop death at the door for this one if it is within my power."

Harry nodded, still speechless.

He spoke softly, "Love can move mountains, Mr. Potter. Have faith, she knows you are here and your strength will sustain her."

Harry nodded again and clasped her hand tighter.

Snape held her and glanced up as Ron came running up carrying ingredients in is arms. He knelt and laid them on the floor next to Snape. Neville was not far behind.

"Mr. Weasley place the cauldron here and light a fire beneath it. Mr. Longbottom you will mix this potion. I cannot move Miss Granger. Do exactly as I say." Neville looked at him and Snape added, "It will produce three drops of liquid. There can be no mistake or it must be brewed again and it will be too late if we have to start again."

Neville knelt and began to pry open the Devil's claw plant that curled like two black wiry talons around a fat seed pod. He extracted the seed as directed by Snape and peeled it. In the meantime, Ron was lighting a fire beneath the cauldron. Both worked without speaking and showed none of the typical classroom jitters around Snape. Snape's face glittered with sweat as steam rose from the cauldron.

Harry was not aware that Remus had moved people back away from them and set them on errands to clean out the castle. They were left alone, just he and Ron, Neville working feverishly and Snape. Harry was capable of doing nothing but holding Hermione's hand and watching.

Snape glanced at him again but did not speak.

Harry swallowed the hard know in his throat. The potion took a long time to brew and was finally done. Snape accepted a teaspoon of it from Neville who handed it to him with a steady hand, unlike Snape's, whose shook. Neville guided the precious cargo, by steadying Snape's hand so that the three drops were finally poured into Hermione's mouth.

They waited.

Harry watched with tremendous anxiety, knowing that his heart would break if Hermione died. He had lost everyone that he had ever cared about with the exception of his friends. He looked over at Snape who also appeared worried.

He found the air in his lungs and blurted, "You know I have never thanked you for saving my mother." He didn't know where the words had come from but they were heart-felt and genuine.

Snape glanced at him and nodded once and then looked back at Hermione without responding. He held her as a lover would, gazing down into her face.

Dawn began to break and a pink- pale gauzy yellow light shone in through the mullioned windows of the corridor. Harry watched Hermione and wasn't sure if the pink in her cheeks was the result of the dawning light or color coming back into her face. He heard Snape give an almost inaudible sigh and his own breath caught in his chest as he watched her began to stir.

"That's it, that's it," Snape murmured. "Wake up. I can't have my best potion's student sleeping on the job." He said it tenderly and at last slowly lowered her to the floor where her eyes began to flutter until they opened. She opened her mouth to speak and was unable to. "It will be alright, Miss Granger. Try not to speak."

"Ahhhh," Harry gasped and Ron, who was just behind him let out a low moan.

The nasty bite marks were now red and the black veins of poison were receding and almost invisible. She looked at them with overly bright eyes and clung to Harry's hand and, to his surprise, Snape's.

Snape leaned over and said very softly, "I hope that we can say that you are still a maiden Miss Granger and have not sacrificed yourself?" She nodded once and he rose up to his knees. "I think it is safe to take her to the hospital wing," Snape said and gently pulled his hand away. "You can manage that can't you, Mr. Weasley?" Ron must have nodded because people began to stir around Harry who was still holding Hermione's other hand.

"Potter, you need to go too," Snape said gently.

"Huh?" Harry huffed with what was left of expelled air. "Oh, right." He allowed someone to help him to his feet and he followed behind Ron who had Hermione on an invisible stretcher and was propelling her towards the stairs to the hospital wing. A hand guided him along and his feet moved without any self-will involved.

Harry was still dazed and turned once to glance back at Snape who had risen from the floor and was watching him go. Lupin stood beside him. They both watched him as he left the hall.

---------------------

The next day and for many days after, the Daily Prophet put out two editions in their attempt to catch up with the events over the past forty-eight hours. The headline was like a toothache, it kept repeating in large letters across the entire top of the front page: HE-WHO-MUST-NOT-BE-NAMED-DEAD OR ALIVE?

It seemed Madam Pomphrey had been called to service in her customary place in Hogwarts hospital wing before term had even begun. There were a number of injured and she tended to them with her somewhat less then tender care. Harry was amongst them although he was not badly injured. He was, however, not himself. Or at least, not feeling like he'd ever felt before. He wondered if it might not have something to do with the fact that Voldemort was dead. Actually he worried about it, because he knew that at some level he had shared his mind with the evil wizard.

He lay in his bed and stared at the wall, his back turned to the room. Even Hermione could not draw him out. She could not talk for over a week because of the wound in her neck, but she did manage to walk to his bedside and pat his hand. She later stopped by to say goodbye for a short time and promised a quick return. She wore a silk scarf around her neck which covered the two very large holes that remained.

There was still the issue of Nagini to resolve and none of them had talked since the night of their escape from Azkaban and the fight at Hogwarts. Harry had not seen or spoken to Remus or to Snape.

The room was very quiet. It had been over a week and most of the injured had been moved to St. Mungo's or had been cured. Even Hermione had returned home briefly and was now at the Burrow with the Weasley family. Harry, on the other hand, had not left his bed.

It was now August and the new term of school would start shortly. He had listened as teachers arrived and cleanup of the grounds and the castle had started. He had not gone out to the grounds nor stepped out in the hall to watch. He had not accepted visitors; not the Minister of Magic, not even Hagrid.

"Mr. Potter you must eat," Madam Pomphrey said and bustled around his bed to place a tray nearby. She moved as crisply as her starched skirt and apron. He stared at her and she frowned. "If you don't eat I shall provide a special potion that will stimulate your appetite. And believe me Mr. Potter it will not be to your liking!"

"Perhaps, I can persuade him," a voice said behind her.

Harry frowned and turned his head away. he knew the voice. It was Lupin.

"Harry?"

Harry lay looking at the ceiling.

"Harry can you tell me what is troubling you?" Remus stood at the side of the bed, hands folded and waited.

Harry studied his feet tucked under the bedding and placed a hand over his brow. "I don't know if I can," he said after a few minutes.

"Try. I will try and understand."

"I don't know what to do with myself, Remus," Harry finally said. He pushed the covers aside and sat up and finally looked over at the man. "I don't have a home, I don't have a family." He swung his feet out and slumped on the bed. "I don't know what I want. Voldemort is gone. Whatever was inside of me that was a part of him is gone to. that should make me happy but instead, I feel as if I have lost a part of myself, like he took a piece with him. I don't feel anything."

Lupin was looking at him with sad gray eyes and yet there was a hint of a smile playing on his lips. "You survived Harry. Beyond all odds, you survived. That's a miracle in and of itself. you save peoples lives."

"Nagini is still alive, he's still alive," Harry said in disgust.

Lupin nodded. "Yes. But you must remember that the snake hold one Horcrux. The others have been destroyed. Even if Voldemort managed to regain a body, he is severely handicapped by the loss of the other six soul pieces."

"Don't you see, it feels like this will never end," Harry responded. "It's as if he will haunt me for the rest of my life."

"I understand that you want to be an Auror," Remus said and glanced at his nails. "If you do that you will always be hunting dark wizards. And you have some skill at it Harry and it didn't come from Voldemort. You are a talented wizard, I've known it all along. You didn't just inherit your looks from your parents Harry, you also inherited their intelligence and their skills."

Harry was already shaking his head. "I didn't get enough O.W.L.S. particularly in potions. I can't be an Auror."

"Perhaps that can be adjusted," another familiar voice said from behind him. It was Snape. "You still have one more year at Hogwarts Mr. Potter. With some special help you might be able to set for your N.E.W.T exams and acquire the requisite skill level acceptable to the Minstry's Department of Magical Law Enforcement.

The man was gliding towards them, dressed in his familiar black cassock robes and appeared already primed and ready for the school year; including his typical sour expression.

Remus glanced at him and then back to Harry. "Professor Snape has been re-instated, Harry. He will continue teaching at Hogwarts."

Harry studied the two of them as they waited for his reaction.

Lupin went on, looking at Snape, "Should we tell him?"

Snape with his characteristic snarling expression, raised his eyebrows and sighed deeply. "Oh please do, Lupin. Let's raise his already inflated ego just a bit more. Let's polish up his notoriety."

Harry frowned angrily and Lupin laughed.

"It seems that the wizarding world would like to give you an award, Harry. Both you and Professor Snape have been awarded the Order of Merlin First Class and since you are of age they have decided to make a place for you in the Wizengamot." Lupin continued, "I understand that there is some kind of movement to put you on a trading card in the chocolate frogs."

"What?!" Harry was now sitting erect and glaring at the two of them. "I...I..." he stammered first at Remus and then turned to Snape, "I don't want that!"

Lupin sobered quickly and said, "Yes, well we do have some things that the Order must continue to supervise and deal with. If you don't want to do any of those other things then I would at least like you to consider becoming a member of the Order. And the truth is Harry you do have a home. You can always return to Godric's Hollow." He stopped and seemed to consider it and then went on, "That is if there are no unpleasant memories associated with it." His face paled a little as he said it and Harry knew that he was thinking of his own memories.

"You're right Remus, I do think of it as my true home." He thought about what he had said.

"There is someone that wishes to speak to you, Mr. Potter." Snape interrupted the heavy silence that followed. "He has been awake and alert since the night of..."

"Who?" Harry interrupted not wanting him to continue.

"Why Professor Dumbledore," Snape said calmly. "His portrait. It remains in his old office. He has asked about you."

Harry realized he was mildly shocked. He hadn't give Dumbledore much thought over the past few weeks. He stared at the floor for a moment and then slipped off the bed and into his slippers. It was a hot and sunny day and the school was empty. He didn't bother with a dressing gown. _Yes, that's exactly who I want to talk to_, he thought.

"I'm going up to his office," he said and then at the last moment he reached into the bedside dresser and pulled out the satchel that had remained with him through the whole ordeal. He reached in and retrieved the diary by touch alone. He looked at it for a moment and then handed it to Snape who took it as if it were a fragile piece of pottery. Harry opened it to the first page and said, "I forgive you for lying to me Remus, about having read her diary. I know why you did it. Anyway-," he cleared his throat and spoke to the book, "-mum it's me, Harry. Remus and Severus are here. You can talk to them now."

Snape's hand shuddered as the words were spoken and then in the room with the tall cathedral ceilings Lily's voice rang out. "Hello my dear friends..."

Harry left them and in his pajamas and slippers he made his way to the stone gargoyles and stood before them. He had been afraid to walk the halls of Hogwarts, afraid that he was too much changed, that he could not stand to see them again, that somehow the school would tell him he didn't belong and he needed to get out. It was something he had been feeling all along, that he was now a foreigner in the wizarding world and that he belonged neither here or in the muggle world.

To his delight he found comforted as he walked. The halls and corridors had been returned to their pristine condition and with the exception of the lack of noise, it was as if he had returned for the new school term.

He closed his eyes and thought about the password for a long time and then said, "Lemon drop." He was not surprised when the staircase swung around and revealed the moving stairs. He entered Dumbledore's office and walked quietly through the tables with their whirring objects. He looked at them and then walked on towards the large desk. The perch that Fawkes normally would have sat on was missing, but other than that the office had been returned the condition left by its former owner. And that owner was now staring down at him from a portrait that hung just behind the desk.

Harry stared back. Dumbledore's deep blue eyes twinkled with delight and the former headmaster smiled.

"Hello, Harry."

"Hello, Professor," Harry said. Their voices were muted in the small room.

"I'm glad you came. I hope you are not too awfully angry with me," Dumbledore said. "I wasn't quite ready to leave you so soon; but alas, it was not something I could control."

Harry stared up at the picture and searched though his feelings. "I was angry Professor, and hurt. I had come to think that you could do almost anything. I didn't expect you to give up..."

"I didn't give up, Harry." Dumbledore interrupted gently. "I was weakened by the water of the Inferi and I had just enough strength to protect you. You were important, not me. The sands of the hourglass of my life had run out. I had lived a full life. It was important that you had a chance to have one, too." Dumbledore shook his snowy white head. "I knew, a premonition let's say, that my time was short. I tried to show you what you needed to know and set your feet on that path. Severus, tells me that you were very brave and you handled yourself very well."

Harry shook his head in disagreement. "We weren't successful. One of the Horcruxes survives. That could mean Voldemort is still out there somewhere. It could happen all over again..."

"No, Harry," Dumbledore said interrupting the stream of protests. "I think it will take some time...and skill, but it will be found and destroyed. I think what you need to worry about now is finishing school, being with your friends..."

"How can I?!" Harry snapped. "I don't know how to do that. I'm not sure of who I really am, like there are pieces missing. I have questions and I need some answers to. All I can think of is what almost happened. I lost you and Sirius and my parents and almost lost Hermione. There are others that died...could have died...almost died."

"But they didn't Harry," Dumbledore insisted. "And the truth is, death awaits us all. And if we can do something good before that happens, it is for the better. There will always be evil wizards out there whether you are alive or not. For now it is important that you learn to enjoy life without worry and fear, that you enjoy your friends and love them. You must find the answers to your questions and not rely on me, or others, to answer them." The older man peered over his glasses as he always did in life.

Harry looked into the eyes that were no longer human and three dimensional. "I miss you," he finally said. "I need you."

Dumbledore shook his head. "No, Harry. You need people who are alive. That was why I did not respond when addressed. I am but an echo of the human who lived. I cannot meet your needs; I cannot be a friend, a companion. You need and deserve more. Go out there and live!" The eyes twinkled. "I hear that you have a chance to be on the back of chocolate frogs. Quite the honor!" A smile crept onto the lips. "You are like the son that I never had. Go out there and make me proud."

Harry left the office not completely satisfied. There were certainly things about the wizarding world that were mystifying; that included the portraits. He could tell that Dumbledore's portrait was not whole, was not as satisfying as the man himself. He walked the halls and ended up in the Gryffindor common room. He felt lonely all of a sudden and wished for someone to talk to. After weeks of avoiding people he now wanted a live person.

Glancing out the window, he knew the very person that he wanted to see. Hagrid's hut had been burned to the ground. Now, he could see the beginnings of a new building. And it was obvious that the person doing the building was no architect. The simple mud and stick structure was going up rather like a child's sand castle. Harry felt sure that Grawp probably was giving Hagrid a hand.

He started out of the portrait hole and realized that he was dressed in his pajamas. He pulled out his wand and studied it for a moment. Seven years before he would not have known what to do with it; would not have been able to transfigure a beetle. Now he could easily transform the pajamas into normal clothes. He also knew deep in his heart that the magic he had used to kill Voldemort had not come from Dumbledore's wand or even from having Voldemort try to kill him. The magic had come from him.

The feeling he had been having was ebbing a little. With a touch of the wand, he changed his clothes and headed out of the building and across the grounds.

--------------------------------

Epilogue

Fred and George Weasley did the arrangements for Fleur and Bill's wedding. It was the last day of August and the day before Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were to return to school on the Hogwarts Express.

Harry stood in the decorated garden along with Ron and watched Fleur standing with Bill in a circle of friends and family; all joining hands to begin the customary ceremony. He linked his fingers into Ginny's on one side and Hermione's on the other and felt satisfaction for the first time in his life.

to be continued...


End file.
